Witness To The Truth
by Lady Athena Lionfire
Summary: *COMPLETED* Helga witnesses a Mafia related crime, so she has to go into hiding. Guns! Clinton Masks. Dances in the snow. Arnold with enough weaponry to keep Russia happy for years. All this and much much more!!
1. Chapter One

Witness to the truth  
  
Hey, I'm starting a new Hey Arnold fic, woohoo, don't worry I'm still going to write the other fic, I'm just stuck on it at the moment.   
Anyway, you guys know the drill, I don't own Hey Arnold, there, you happy?  
  
  
  
The chair Helga Pataki was sitting in seemed to get smaller and the lights hotter as she faced the policewoman, on the table in front of her a cup of cold coffee was slowly congealing and in front of that was her statement.  
'Miss Pataki, are you saying that you are changing your statement?' Helga bit her lip and nodded, wrapping her arms around her shoulders she tried to warm herself up a bit,  
'Why? A few days ago you seemed positive that you saw who had done it, why are you changing your story now?' Helga said nothing, staring a few inches above the woman's right ear, she concentrated on keeping her story straight,  
'Has somebody threatened you?' A small gasp told the officer that she had found the answer,  
'Helga, please, you need to testify against Louie in court, you are the only witness, its imperative that you stick to the truth.' Shuddering Helga nodded,  
'Alright, I won't change my statement.' Leaning forwards she looked the policewoman in the eyes,  
'You have to protect me.' Frowning the policewoman said softly,  
'From who?' The answer was one word, said so quietly that the officer wasn't sure she had heard it correctly,  
'Everyone.'  
  
Helga sat alone in a prison cell, she was wearing a wool jumper and a pair of trousers, the sensible shoes were now not so sensible and she wished she had a coat, outside she could see it was snowing heavily. Fat flakes stuck to the window and within minutes it was covered and the only light came from a small light bulb hanging above her head. Shuddering Helga pulled a book out of the bag lying at her feet, opening it at the book mark she began reading only stopping when somebody walked passed the cell door. Finally the door opened and the same police woman who had interviewed her earlier walked in, she carried Helga's coat which had been left at her apartment and a suitcase,  
'I got your things, it's probably safer if I don't tell you where you will be staying. Here put your coat on and follow me.' Passing the heavy winter coat to Helga she walked out of the cell and gratefully Helga slipped the coat on zipping it up to her neck, in the pocket a scarf and hat were pulled out and slipped on. Helga was now almost unrecognisable,  
'How deep is the snow?' She asked the guard at the door, who glanced out the window,  
'Pretty deep, I think you should be warm enough in your coat.' Nodding Helga silently followed the officer, along a corridor into a room where two men stood drinking coffee,  
'Helga, this is Jim and Mike, they will be taking you to your new home, until the court case in three months you are to stay there with them.' Helga looked at the woman nervously,  
'What about you? Aren't you coming?' Smiling the woman put a hand on Helga's shoulder comfortingly,  
'I'll visit when its safe, don't worry, they are totally trust worthy, there will be a third officer coming with you, he's trained in martial arts and will be acting as your personal body guard.' Nodding Helga glanced round the room, interpreting her look she said,  
'He should be here any time soon, you will be leaving as soon as he arrives.' The sound of running made Helga turn round and the door banged open, a young man around Helga's age stood in the doorway panting, blonde hair covered his face, as he stood up Helga gasped,  
'Arnold!'  
  
  
Okay I know this is really short but it's sort of an intro. I also realise how similar this is to sister act and the bodyguard, but don't worry there will be no singing nuns and Helga isn't a famous singer.  
Find out in the next chapter what Helga saw and why Arnold is there, believe me it's going to be a good second chapter.  
  
Review please. 


	2. Chapter Two

Witness to the truth  
  
I don't own Hey Arnold, yada yada yada. I think you get the point.  
I know in the last chapter I promised you would find out what Helga saw but it just doesn't fit in with this chapter so it'll definitely be in the next chapter. Sorry. ::hangs head in shame::  
  
Arnold glanced at his watch and groaned, he was late, again, it seemed that he was always late these days, he blamed it on day light savings.  
'Damn farmers.' He muttered as he set off towards the main room at a run, when he reached the door he opened it with a bang, leaning on his knees, straightening up his emerald green eyes widened in surprise.  
'Arnold!'  
'Helga?' Captain Alice Malone looked at them in surprise,  
'You two know each other?' She asked, Arnold nodded and Helga smiled weakly,  
'We went to school together.' Arnold crossed the room still breathing heavily from the unscheduled run and held his hand out, Helga shook it a slight smile on her pale face.  
'How are you doing? Well obviously not to good if you need our help. Why do you need our help? I have yet to be informed of the details.' Helga glanced at Captain Malone, who said briskly,  
'I'm sure Helga will explain when you reach the safe haven. Now off you go, no time to spare.' Turning the Captain nodded to Jim and Mike and glancing at Arnold said,  
'Don't let her out of your sight.' Walking off she went into her office and closed the door, sighing Arnold said as cheerfully as he could,  
'Do you have everything you need Helga?' Shrugging Helga glanced at her suitcase,  
'I don't know, Captain Malone went to my apartment and packed for me, I don't know if she got everything.' Smirking Mike said in a slow drawl,  
'Looks like we are making a quick stop to Miss Pataki's apartment then, the Captain's idea of suitable may not be yours, plus I'm sure you have personal items you'll need, you know all your girlie things, make-up and books.' Glancing at Arnold Helga said uncertainly,  
'Books are girlie?' Smirking Arnold said sarcastically,  
'According to Mike, if it isn't beer and sports it isn't manly.' Laughing Helga picked up her suitcase, and they moved out of the room,  
'It's a real blizzard out there. Are you sure we can drive in that weather?' Jim nodded,  
'Sure, my car can drive through a typhoon.' Shrugging Helga said uncertainly,  
'That's good, but can it drive through snow?' Laughing Arnold led the way down to the car park,  
'You haven't changed much have you?' Grinning Helga said,  
'Nope, only the big difference between now and school was my life wasn't in danger. But other than that no I haven't changed much.'  
  
As they got into the car Helga peered nervously around her,  
'It's really snowing out there, we wouldn't be able to see if anybody was following us.' Arnold shook his head,  
'I'm sure nobody is following us.' Helga shrugged and sat back, resting her head on the back seat. Arnold watched her for a moment before enquiring,  
'Where's your apartment?' She sighed and raised her head,  
'Jim knows, I'm sure he does.' Jim grinned and nodded,  
'I do as well, we'll be there in a minute.' Arnold shrugged and Helga said,  
'So, Arnold, why the police force? I was sure you would become a doctor.'  
'I got a bit tired of being so predictable, everybody I ever knew thought I would be a doctor like my dad or an archaeologist like my mum, I figured I'd do what I wanted to do and become a police officer. I'm now a detective so it means no uniform.' Smiling Helga looked out the window at the flurry of snow that blocked her vision; Mike's voice broke her thought pattern,  
'Okay Helga we're here, Jim and me will stay in the car, you and Arnold go get your stuff.' Climbing out of the car Arnold checked around to make sure nobody was following them and signalled to Helga that it was safe to get out. Together they walked into the apartment building and Helga headed to the lift, Arnold grabbed her arm,  
'No don't, we take the stairs, lifts are too dangerous.' Helga nodded then looked up the stairwell,  
'I'm on the top floor.' Arnold managed to keep his face impassive although inside he was wishing he could use the lift.  
'Never mind, we use the stairs.' Shrugging Helga started up the stairs, Arnold followed her with his hand on the hilt of his gun, and halfway up the stairs he was seriously regretting his decision to use them.  
'Don't worry Arnoldo, it's not far now.' Helga said over her shoulder,   
'Helga, did I ever tell you I hated being called Arnoldo?' Nodding Helga said dryly,  
'Why did you think I called you it then?' Sighing Arnold pushed past Helga and opened the door onto the landing,  
'End door,' Helga said as she pulled her keys out of her bag, unlocking the door she walked into the apartment and headed into her bedroom, while she was gone Arnold looked round the small but neat apartment. Photos of Phoebe and Helga together were framed and hanging on the walls. A degree from New York University hung over her fireplace and a computer stood in the corner.  
'You have a nice apartment.' He called; Helga popped her head round the doorframe,  
'It'll do for now.' Shrugging Arnold glanced at a letter on the table; he felt his blood run cold,  
  
"Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
They'll need your dental records,  
To identify you." It was signed "Steel edge Joey"   
  
Picking up the letter he slipped it into his pocket, Steel edge Joey was a little seen widely known member of Big Louie's Mafia group. In fact nobody knew what he looked like as he always wore a mask of President Clinton.  
'Are you ready?' He asked, his nerves jangling, the longer they stayed in the apartment the more danger they were in.  
'Yeah I'm....' Helga's voice trailed off and she let out a shrill scream a gun shot came from her bedroom and pulling his gun out Arnold ran into the bedroom, two Mafia cleaners had cornered Helga, one grabbed her and held a knife to her throat. Firing his gun at the man who held the gun Arnold killed him instantly,  
'Give it up copper, she's history.' A thin weasely man said, he held the knife tighter to Helga's neck and a trickle of blood ran down the front of her jumper staining it red.  
'Let her go or I'll shoot you.' Arnold said taking aim at the mans head,  
'And risk hitting the girl, I don't think so.' The cleaner sneered, raising the gun higher Arnold moved forwards,  
'At point blank range? I don't think so.' Pulling the trigger he fired a single shot at the mans head, Helga ran forwards and grabbed her bag,  
'Come on Helga, let's get out of here.' Arnold ordered grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the room.  
  
As they climbed back into the waiting car Jim glanced at the blood on Helga's jumper,  
'Run into trouble?'  
'Two cleaners, killed them both.' Mike looked sharply at Helga,  
'In front of the lady?' Helga frowned,  
'How else was he supposed to kill them? One of them was holding a knife to my throat, I could hardly wait in the next room.' Mike chuckled and Arnold stifled a laugh, Jim started the car and the engine roared to life, driving down the road as fast as they could he suddenly turned onto a road and stopped the car,  
'Alright, this is something I have to do.' Leaning across Mike he opened the glove box and pulled three blindfolds out, handing two to Arnold he fastened the third around Mike's eyes.  
'I'm sorry guys, but only I can know the location.' Arnold tied it round Helga's head and whispered,  
'Don't worry, we can trust him, he's worked with us for twenty years, just relax and enjoy the ride, and remember I am right by your side.' Helga nodded and adjusted the blindfold so it was more comfortable, tying the blindfold around his own strange shaped head Arnold sat back and with his right hand checked to make sure his gun was loose, with his left he gripped Helga's hand and squeezed it.   
'So Mike, Jim, tell me a bit about yourselves, got any family?' Jim grunted an affirmative,  
'Wife and two kids love them more than life itself. Little Erica is the spitting image of her mother, she's eight years old, and Daniel is seven, the wife and I started our family late, but we've caught up now.' Mike laughed a deep laugh that sounded like the laugh of an opera singer; it was deep and booming,  
'My wife and I got a divorce six years ago, I got a kid I never see but pay most of my wage to. You know what she divorced me for?' Without waiting for anybody to answer he continued,  
'Neglect! I called it working as many hours as humanly possible to put food on the table and clothes on their backs, we lived in comfort, not senseless extravagance, but that wasn't enough for her, she wanted better than what we had. I wasn't good enough.' He finished bitterly, for a few minutes the occupants of the car sat in gloomy silence, finally Helga said softly,  
'I'm sorry, my parents divorced when I was in high school, but that was because my dad was a cruel vindictive son of a bitch.' Arnold wasn't sure if she was smirking but he was sure she would be,  
'He never got my name right, I was Olga right up until the bastard left, you know what he said to me when he left? You're going to take after your mum when you grow up, don't marry.' Laughing mirthlessly she sat in stony silence until Arnold said quietly,  
'At least you had parents.' Helga squeezed his hand and said,  
'Arnold I'm sorry, I guess tact never was my forte.'   
'Man we are gloomy bastards aren't we? Excuse my French, well except Jim, he has the world on a string, and good luck to him, if I had a beer I'd raise it to him.' Jim laughed,  
'Thanks Mike.'  
  
The car pulled to a stop and a wave of snow hit the wall in front of it,  
'Okay guys, remove the blindfolds.' Pulling his blindfold off Arnold blinked at the sudden light, it stung his eyes and rubbing them he looked at the house in front of him; it was detached with a double garage, window boxes filled with winter plants lined the front side of the house. Up one side of the house snow had piled several feet up the wall,  
'Nice, all alone, in the mountains no one can hear you scream.' Helga said as she got out of the car, stretching she rubbed her back,  
'Who's got the keys? I hope somebody has 'em I don't fancy another long drive to pick up the keys.' Jim felt in his pocket and pulled a key ring out, a silver key hung from it swinging like a pendulum. Unlocking the door he went back to the car and pulled the bags out, Arnold's was the largest and Helga raised an enquiring eyebrow in his direction,  
'What do you think I only have one gun?' Shaking her head slightly Helga moved through the hall way into the large living room, at one end a log fire was stacked with wood waiting to be lit and a sofa and two chairs were positioned round it.  
'The fridge and cupboards are fully stocked and there is a cupboard in the living room with board games and puzzles in it.' Jim said as he opened the fridge and pulled out a pack of beers, handing one to Mike he said to Helga and Arnold,  
'You kids want a beer?' Arnold grinned and shook his head, Helga said reproachfully,  
'Kid? I'm twenty-six.' Jim laughed,  
'Helga, I'm forty-two, you're a kid.' Shrugging Helga looked into all the room,  
'Er, did you guys know there is only two bedrooms?' Jim nodded,  
'Sorry honey, but you and your new body guard gotta share a bedroom, same as me and Mike,' Mike groaned,  
'You snore.' Jim pulled a loaf of bread out of a bread box and cut the end off, buttering it he added cold chicken, lettuce and tomatoes,  
'I do not.' He said as he bit into it, Mike rolled his eyes and went into the living room, soon the sounds of a football match could be heard, Jim shook his head despairingly,  
'It doesn't matter where we are, he always finds the T.V, I swear he has one hidden up his sleeve.' He said as he made three more sandwiches, Helga grinned and opened the fridge, it was well stocked with beer, wine, fruit juice and soda's grabbing a soda she passed one to Arnold who said,  
'How the heck did you know I was going to have a soda?' Helga looked at him reproachfully,  
'We went to school together for fifthteen or so years, I had lunch with you, Gerald and Phoebe everyday for two years until... we didn't have lunch together again.' Finishing her sentence abruptly she stared at the wall, as if memorising the patterns on the wallpaper. Jim frowned and said curiously,  
'Why did you stop having lunch together?' Helga's eyes filled with tears and Arnold said in a choked voice,  
'We were at a party, somebody had spiked the punch so we were as pissed as weasels. Of course we didn't realise how bad we were and 'cos Helga and me only lived a few blocks away from where the party was we walked home, Gerald and Phoebe lived further away so they drived, they shouldn't have it was stupid. Anyway as far as we know Gerald lost control of the car and they smashed into a wall.' Jim winced in sympathy,  
'I'm sorry, it must be tough losing such close friends.' He said awkwardly, Helga sobbed and beat her hands against the wall,  
'They didn't die, they both lived, if you can call it living, they're both brain dead, they don't know who me and Arnold are, they don't even recognise their own parents. They live in a nursing home for the elderly and disabled, they are twenty-six, it isn't fair. Phoebe was the smartest girl in the school, she got excepted into Harvard for fuck's sake, she could have been anything, and instead she sits in a chair unable to do anything on her own.' Arnold slipped an arm around her shoulder and she leant against him sobbing,  
'I visit them once a month, but I haven't seen Arnold there, I knew he would go though, I just never saw him go.' Arnold nodded,  
'The first of the month, I tell Gerald all the news, in the vain hope one day he'll say to me, "Hey man, wanna go play baseball?" I visit Phoebe and just read her books.' Arnold sighed and passed Helga a tissue from the counter, she wiped her eyes and said with a sad smile,  
'I haven't cried like that in years, I feel better for it though.' Arnold smiled and massaged his temples with the heel of his hands,  
'I do to Helga, I do to.'  
  
  
Okay that's the end of that chapter, now if people are still reading and haven't gone off in high dudgeon because they don't want Gerald and Phoebe in anyway injured I just have to say sorry. I just got the idea but couldn't bring myself to kill them, what can I say I'm a sentimentalist. Okay now you've wiped the tears away review please.  
Also, if anybody recognised the little poem I got it from the movie Valentine, staring the ever yummy David Boreanaz. 


	3. Chapter Three

Witness to the truth  
  
I don't own Hey Arnold, I own nothing. I live with my mum in a rented property, I can't afford to own anything. Anyway. On with the show. Hehehe  
  
  
Helga pushed a plate of macaroni cheese around and tried to look as if she was eating, it wasn't that it tasted bad, it was great, but the prospect of sharing a room with a guy she had loved since kindergarten didn't appeal to her. Taking a sip of the cherry soda, that had warmed up and now tasted like cherry cough syrup, Helga tried to concentrate on the light banter of Mike and Jim. They were probably the most unlikely friends she had ever met, whereas Mike was loud boisterous and a bitter divorcee, Jim was quiet, friendly and a caring husband, what they found to talk about Helga would never know. Arnold sat next to Helga; he was eating his food in the quiet contented way that a person who grew up with a bad cook has, savouring each mouthful and smiling if anybody happened to say anything to him.  
'Whats up Helga? You not hungry?' Helga shook her head,  
'Not really, I'm just tired.' She lied, in truth she was more wide-awake than ever. Arnold looked up and said kindly,  
'Maybe you should watch T.V or something, but then you have to tell me what happened?' Nodding Helga pushed her plate towards Arnold, who snatched it up greedily, and stood up, making her way into the living room, she sat down on the sofa facing the open fire and stared into the flickering flames. The next thing she knew was Arnold gently shaking her shoulder,  
'What? What happened?' She asked as she yawned and rubbed her aching eyes,  
'You fell asleep, one minute you were sitting there, watching the flames the next you were slumped over sound asleep.' Helga shrugged sheepishly,  
'I haven't gotten a lot of sleep these past few weeks.' She admitted guiltily, a sense of indignation washed over her and she wondered why she was feeling like a kid who fell asleep in math class.  
'Maybe you should wait until tomorrow before you tell me your tale.' Arnold suggested, Helga shook her head,  
'No, you should know now.' Curling her legs underneath her she felt in her trouser pocket and pulled a card out,  
'This card means I can go anywhere, I get to go to movie premiers, fancy French restaurants, anywhere. Press passes can come in useful, but with the card comes responsibility, I can't lose it, my boss would kill me and because I have to wear it on my shirt I am instantly recognised as a journalist. Part of being a journalist involves being on call all the time, it's not a nine to five job.' Arnold frowned,  
'So how did you get mixed up with Big Louie?'   
'I was getting to that. I have been doing a story on the big crime families in America, most of them are just petty thugs with big ideas and a bit of cash to throw away, but others are serious criminals, like Big Louie Santoni. He has a string of warehouses over North America containing up to a half a billion in stolen property, black market alcohol and highly addictive drugs. He also runs a casino in Las Vegas, has upmarket hotels in L.A and Florida, cuts down trees in the Amazon, you name it he's done or doing it.   
'I wasn't stupid though, I used a pseudonym, Angela Lloyd, it meant I could go where I wanted and I wouldn't have anybody getting suspicious, after all I'm just Helga Pataki. Anyway, I got a tip off that Big Louie would be pulling a heist in a museum in New York, it was rumoured he was going to steal the Spirit of the Nile, the largest Sapphire in Europe. I was there before them though, I caught it all on video tape, it meant as well as getting a story I also had proof that Big Louie was behind it all. There was a problem though, I had taped it all and was making a quick escape, when I knocked into a security light, the alarms went off and I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. I managed to escape but I left something behind.' She paused and Arnold said slowly,  
'Your press pass.' Nodding Helga said,  
'Got it in one. They knew who I was, where I worked and where I lived, they knew more about me than a lot of people did. I got my press pass back, and a letter, it was basically the usual, you tell we kill, well I took my video to the police and Big Louie was arrested, then he put a contact out on me. So far I've escaped seven assassination attempts, including the one you stopped, then I got a letter that I believe you have in your pocket. That did it, I decided to change my statement, I knew what I was doing was cowardly and wrong but my life was in terrible danger, I was so scared. Captain Malone figured it out and now I am hiding out in the middle of nowhere and the only person I can really trust is you, at least I know somebody, I'm not completely alone.' Arnold nodded and said,  
'Don't worry, you can trust us, only Jim knows where we are, and he's good cop, there is no chance at all that he is a member of a crime family. And Mike has been working for months to put all those crime families out of business. Trust me.' Nodding Helga stood up and stretched her arms out,  
'You're right. I'm being paranoid. I'm going to bed, g'night Arnold.' As she walked past Jim and Mike who were playing cards she said goodnight and they nodded.  
'Night Helga.' They chorused. Standing up Arnold sat down next to Jim,  
'I'm assuming you know why Helga is in danger?' He said, Mike nodded,  
'Yup, it's going to be hard for the kid until the trial starts, but I'm pretty sure nobody can get her here.' Jim nodded in agreement,  
'Yeah, she'll be fine.' Looking at Arnold he said,  
'Seeing her must bring back some pretty bad memories.' Arnold nodded and Mike raised an eyebrow,  
'Why? You kid's date or something? I mean she's a very pretty woman.' Arnold shook his head,  
'No, we were friends, our best friends were dating, they got into an accident, they are now brain dead, we just stopped talking, it was to painful.' Mike shrugged,  
'Sorry kid, that's tough, I lost a friend when I was nine, he got meningitis, not a day goes by that I don't think of him.' Shrugging he took a swig of beer,  
'Life's tough, it makes you stronger, my old man was in the army and he said although he got his arm blasted off and he broke three of his ribs it made him a better person. Never arm wrestle with a person with only one arm, they're tough, real tough.' Arnold raised an eyebrow and Jim laughed,  
'Don't worry he's just pissed.' Mike glared at Jim,  
'I'm not pissed, I never get pissed, I...oh god I'm gonna puke.' Standing up he ran into the bedroom and wrinkling his nose in disgust Arnold stood up,  
'I think I'm going to go to bed.' Jim shrugged and gathered the abandoned playing card up, shuffling them he set them out to play solitaire, ignoring the sound of Mike being violently sick in the bathroom Arnold opened the door to the bedroom he was sharing with Helga. He could see her sleeping form under the duvet and grinning at how innocent the tough as nails journalist looked when she slept, he stripped down to his boxers and pulled a pair of pyjama bottoms on. Crawling into his bed he curled up and pulled the duvet under his chin, within a few minutes he was fast asleep.  
  
'Mornin' Helga one egg or two?' Helga watched as Jim cracked another egg into the already loaded pan and turned the heat down when he was splattered with fat,  
'One please, do we have any bread?' Nodding Jim pulled a loaf of bread out of the bread bin and passed it to Helga,  
'Anything else? You can't just have a fried egg and bread.' He said as he lowered two rashers of bacon into another pan.  
'I know, I also want two rashers of bacon, mushrooms and a fried tomato, I'm making a sandwich.' She said with a grin, Jim nodded approvingly and said in a happier tone,  
'I like to see a young lady who has a good appetite, there are to many girls already skinnier than a pencil yet they still torture themselves eating rabbit food and little else, it ain't healthy. And all that counting the calories crap, if it's loaded with fat it tastes better.' Helga nodded and smirked as he piled the food onto the slice of buttered bread, taking a bite she moaned happily,  
'Now that is a sandwich to write home about.' Grabbing a plate she loaded it with food and rapping on her bedroom door said,  
'Arnold you decent?' A muffled yell made her laugh and Arnold appeared in the now open door, bleary eyed and his hair a mess,  
'Huh?' Shoving the plate at him she said cheerfully,  
'Jim cooked again. When I go home I'm hiring him to be my personal cook.' Arnold laughed and wandered into the living room, Helga collapsed on the sofa and Arnold sat next to her,  
'Not a morning person are you?' Arnold shook his head sourly,  
'No, I need coffee.' Two mugs of coffee were placed on the coffee table and Jim sat down in an armchair,  
'Sleep well?' He asked and Helga was surprised to find a trace of a leer in the older mans voice,  
'Arnold snores.' Helga said bluntly, Arnold shook his head and said through a mouthful of bacon and mushroom,  
'I do not.' Helga smiled sweetly,  
'Yes, yes you do.' Chuckling Jim said with a grin,  
'You kids make a cute couple, you remind me of me and my wife when we first got married.' Helga felt the colour rise in her cheeks and Arnold laughed,  
'That's funny, that's what my grandma said when she first met Helga.' Swallowing his food he said,  
'Apparently she and grandpa argued all the time, more when they were kids though, she used to bully him mercilessly.' Jim shot an enquiring look at Helga, who lowered her gaze sheepishly,  
'I wouldn't say it was merciless.' Laughing triumphantly Jim pointed his fork at Arnold and Helga,  
'Mark my words, you two are made for each other, its fate, I mean you already know each others likes and dislikes,'  
'Strawberry ice-cream and brussel sprouts,' Arnold said absently, Helga smirked,  
'Cherry soda and people who threaten his friends and family.' Jim grinned,  
'And you have a lot in common,  
'Big Bob's a jerk.' They both said with a laugh,  
'Maybe he's right,' Arnold said awkwardly,  
'I dunno maybe.' Helga said equally awkwardly, suddenly they cracked up laughing, and said in unison,  
'Nah!' Jim shook his head and stood up putting his empty plate in the sink,  
'I have a game of solitaire to finish, do me a favour, get Mike out of bed, he's gonna need a hangover cure.'  
  
(What? Did you think them getting together would be easy? Dream on peeps)  
  
'Mike open up!' Arnold yelled banging on the door,  
'No, fuck off!' Mike yelled back, a loud groan was heard and Helga giggled,  
'Mike, come on, you have to get out of bed today.' She called through the locked door,  
'Helga, shove off!' Grinning she started banging on the door, each knock got louder until she was pounding on it with both fists, the door swung open and Arnold caught her by the shirt before she fell forwards,  
'I'm up already! Sheesh! I pity the guy who marries you.' Jim sniggered and Helga glared at them both,  
'Jim has a hangover cure ready for you, and if you don't behave I'm cooking liver,' Mike turned green and grinning nastily Helga continued,  
'with lots and lots of greasy fried onions.' Mike turned and ran into the bathroom, Arnold gave Helga a look of despair,  
'Helga that was mean.'  
'Yeah, what's your point?' Shaking his head Arnold went into his bedroom and Helga sat down opposite Jim,  
'You aren't actually going to cook liver are you?' Jim asked nervously, Helga shook her head and stuck her tongue out,  
'Ugh, no way, I can't stand the stuff.' Jim laughed and placed a card down,  
'He'll take that hangover cure and feel a lot better, hopefully.' Helga glanced at the glass of green liquid,  
'What's in it?' Jim grinned and said,  
'Three raw eggs, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and the secret ingredient.' Helga shuddered and said warily,  
'Dare I ask what the secret ingredient is?' Jim grinned evilly,  
'Essence of seaweed.' Helga groaned and said,  
'That's disgusting, does it work?' Shrugging Jim said with a laugh,  
'I dunno, could do, might not though, I'm willing to experiment though.' Standing up Helga sniffed the drink,  
'Well if it doesn't work we could end up with a Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde style situation, better duck when he drinks it.' Mike wandered out of the bathroom and shot Helga a nasty look,  
'You are a petty woman.' Helga smirked,  
'So I've been told.' Mike glanced at the glass of 'hangover cure' and sniffed it,  
'Whats in it?' Jim opened his mouth and Helga cut him off,  
'This and that, it's an old Pataki family secret recipe, my mom was always drunk so we needed it, it always worked.' Winking at Jim she watched as Mike picked the glass up and downed it in one go,  
'That was worse that throwing up my stomach lining.' Shrugging Helga asked,  
'Did it work?' Mike felt his head and his face brightened,  
'It did, this is fantastic, you have to tell me the recipe.' Smirking Helga told him and he grimaced and ran into the bathroom, after a few second there was the sound of somebody being violently sick,  
'Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have told him about the seaweed.' Helga said with a grin.  
  
'Where's Mike?' Arnold asked coming out of the bedroom, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt,  
'Throwing up the hangover cure.' Helga said with a grin, she was lying on the sofa reading a book,  
'He'll never drink again.' Jim added from where he was sitting playing cards still,  
'You're still playing cards?' Arnold asked him incredulously, nodded Jim put another card down,  
'It beats doing nothing.' Shrugging Arnold sat down on the floor in front of the fire, Helga joined him and he pulled the letter out of his pocket,  
'Helga, what do you know about Steel edge Joey?' Helga shuddered,  
'He has had many names over the past twenty years, Whiplash Cedric, Cardiac Arrest Patrick, Arsenic Andrew and now Steel edge Joey. Each of his names have related to his style of killing, now he heats a blade up and runs it up and down the victims stomach and face, then he cuts the tip of the tongue off. Finally he burns a cigarette in the victim's eye and stabs them; it's usually when he stabs them that they die. He's a monster. But, nobody has been able to identify him because he wears a Bill Clinton mask and he also only ever speaks to his victim. A five-year-old boy watched him kill his father, he wasn't noticed by Steel edge because he was hiding under the sink, the boy didn't speak for five years, his first words were "He burned my daddy." He told us exactly what he heard and saw I wouldn't let a thirty-year-old see something like that in a movie, let alone a five-year-old. The poor kid ended up in a mental hospital because he tried to kill himself.' Helga trailed off and to his surprise Arnold saw tears in her eyes,  
'He's going to get me Arnold, I'm so scared.' Hugging her Arnold said in a voice low enough so that Jim and Mike wouldn't hear him,  
'Listen Helga, you will survive this, I will make sure of that, Steel edge Joey will not get within ten feet of you. If he does I will personally shoot his head off, and I'm also going to give you a gun to keep with you at all times. If you think you are in danger or are in danger just shoot, either into the air or if need be into whoever is frightening you. Don't give them a chance to hurt you.' Helga nodded and squeezed Arnold's hand gratefully,  
'Thanks Arnold.'  
  
Okay that's it for now, I hope you enjoyed it. And I strongly recommend that you don't try the 'hangover cure' I just made it up off the top of my head, it could make you ill so leave those ingredients alone. Good. Now be good readers and review. Please. 


	4. Chapter Four

Witness to the truth  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Authors Note: Another chapter up aren't you guys lucky? This is up later than usual because I've been at my dads and trying to get on the computer there is like trying to get blood out of a stone. Anyway on to the serious part of this note, contrary to popular belief, (i.e. mine) I do not own Hey Arnold. I know this may come as a shock to you all, I know it does to me, I was so surprised when the security guard wouldn't let me passed, but try to keep calm and read the fic.  
  
  
Helga was bored, not just slightly bored but mind numbingly, teeth achingly, brain freezingly bored! Rearranging the furniture and cleaning out the cupboards had done nothing to alleviate the boredom, neither had cooking a three-course meal, cleaning every ornament in sight and building an army of snowmen with Arnold. Although on the plus side she now had an army big enough to attack Big Louie's gang, and if the snowmen were to magically come to life they would probably win, and scare the crap out of a lot of people at the same time.   
Sniggering Helga let her mind wander as she swept snow from around the base of a large oak tree; all of a sudden she was wearing something glittery and gorgeous, clingy in all the right places and sweeping in the rest. The broom she was carrying turned into Arnold looking dashing in a midnight blue tuxedo and completely free from weapons. Smiling she twirled around the snow covered garden sweeping as she went.  
'Having fun Helga?' Arnold's voice broke her train of thoughts and grinning she gestured to the broom,  
'It's a good dance partner but a bit too quiet.' Arnold grinned and pulled the broom away from her, throwing it into the bushes he held his hand out and said,  
'May I have this dance?' Accepting his hand Helga moved closer to him and they danced to an imaginary tune.  
  
'Bet you twenty bucks they sleep together.' Mike said as he and Jim watched Arnold and Helga dance, Jim considered the offer then said,  
'You're on.'  
  
'Arnold it's freezing out here and we have an audience.' Helga said as they waltzed around the garden,  
'I don't think the snowmen will say anything.' Arnold teased as he dipped her,  
'Not the snowmen silly, Jim and Mike, they are watching from the living room window.' Helga could have sworn that Arnold was blushing, from the fact his work mates were watching him dance in the snow or from how close they were standing Helga couldn't tell she just hoped he couldn't see her blushing.  
'Do you wanna stop?' She said as he twirled her, Arnold grinned,  
'Nah, this is the nearest thing they have come to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Let them watch.' As he dipped her he caught sight of a glint from behind the bushes, not wanting to panic Helga he pulled her up and said with a smile on his face,  
Helga, there is a man in the bushes behind you, don't look, carry on dancing, and don't panic, just do as I tell you. Okay reach into my pocket and pull the gun out.' Shakily Helga reached into his pocket; she would have loved to have seen the looks on Jim and Mike's faces as it most likely looked incredibly incriminating for them.  
'I got it, now what?' Helga asked as she held the gun so that it couldn't be seen.  
'Pass it to me, I'm going to take your hands and twirl you, give it me then.' Nodding Helga, plastered a smile on her face, all the joy of the afternoon now gone, and the fear of being killed remaining. Arnold stepped back and took both her hands in his, she passed him the gun and he spun her round, as he pulled her towards him he fired three bullets into the bush.  
  
'What the fuck!' Jim yelled as he pulled his gun out and ran outside, Mike swore in annoyance and pulled his own gun out following Jim into the snow covered garden.  
  
'What happened?' Jim asked as he reached Arnold and Helga, Arnold kept hold of Helga's hand and together they moved towards the bush, as they looked at the man sprawled in the snow Helga gasped.  
'Brainy!' Checking his pulse Arnold looked up grimly,  
'He's alive, I hit his arm and his leg, the third bullet is buried in the tree. Jim, Mike, take him into the living room, I'll have to remove the bullets and then when he comes round I'll tie him to a chair.' Helga shuddered at the look on his face; it was a cross between hurt and anger,  
'Is, why, was, is he working for Big Louie?' She finally blurted out, Arnold looked at her and a glimpse of worry was seen in his emerald eyes,  
'I don't know yet. I'm going to need your help though, we need to get those bullets out.' Nodding Helga pulled her coat off and knelt besides Brainy who was lying on the couch, his pale skin even paler and blood staining his camouflage gear.  
'Brainy, are you awake?' He moaned and Helga felt fury run through her veins, bunching her hands into fists she silently cursed him for disturbing her moment with Arnold. Leaning closer to him she hissed,  
'Brainy you bastard you better have a better excuse than trying to kill me for this little visit now open your fucking eyes before I shoot them out.' Her threat had the effect she desired, Brainy's eyelids fluttered and Helga found herself looking into a pair of cold steel grey eyes.  
'Bitch!' He groaned,  
'Oh pipe down you windbag.' She said scornfully,  
'Arnold, he's awake.' She called; Arnold appeared with a bag filled with medical tools, he tossed a pair of gloves to Helga and put the second pair on himself,  
'Well not for long, I'll have to knock him out again so I can get the bullets out.' Sneering at Brainy Helga said bitterly,  
'Allow me.' Punching him as hard as she could she allowed all her pent up aggression and fear to add some force to the punch, it worked as Brainy's head snapped back and he was knocked out cold.  
'Remind me never to make you angry.' Mike said as he eyed her warily,  
'We went to school with this bastard!' Helga said as calmly as she could, gritting her teeth she rubbed her sore fist,  
'He stalked me for years! Always behind me whenever I wanted some time for myself, I was never alone with him around, never! Now he's trying to bump me off! If I had known he would become a cleaner for the Mafia I would have done more than break his nose when he snuck up on me.' Arnold pulled a scalpel out of his bag and pulling Brainy'' shirt off pulled the T-shirt up and sliced into his arm, Helga worked quickly mopping up blood and moving Brainy's arm when Arnold ordered. Eventually he grabbed a pair of tweezers and pulled a bullet out of the hole, passing it to Helga he quickly sewed up the hole and moved onto the leg, the bullet was in his shin and grimly he ripped the leg off his pants and surveyed the hole.  
'It broke the bone, it's completely shattered. It'll need to be amputated.' Helga felt the colour drain from her face,  
'Amputate?' Arnold grinned slightly,  
'Not by me, I don't have the tools.' Making a mental note to find out how Arnold knew to perform surgery Helga sighed with relief. As Arnold fished in the hole and pulled out a bullet she watched in fascination as he sewed the hole up and bandaged the leg tightly.  
'When he wakes up call me, I'm going to clean myself up, Helga, I need to talk to you.' Nodding Helga stood up and followed Arnold into the bathroom he faced her with a look of pride on his face.  
'Helga, I just wanted to say you were great out there. I am so proud of you, you stayed calm and when I was removing the bullet you didn't freak out, a lot of people would have.' Smiling Helga shrugged,  
'And that punch would have floored George Foreman.' Arnold said with a grin, Helga's smile wilted a little and he frowned,  
'Your hands hurting a lot isn't it?' Nodding Helga held her hand out; it was swollen and bruised round the knuckles.  
'He's one bony guy' She said with a smirk, on impulse she hugged Arnold,  
'I am so glad you are my bodyguard. Thanks.' Arnold hugged her back and felt Helga wince, pulling back he said worriedly,  
'Whats wrong, are you hurt?' Laughing Helga pointed to his blood stained clothes,  
'You're a mess.' Sheepishly Arnold started to remove his shirt, Helga blushed and with a slight wave left the room,  
'Helga, he's coming around.' Jim said, he was sitting by Brainy and every so often he would check his pulse.  
'Arnold should be out in five minutes, I'll stay with him.' Jim nodded and went to sit in the chair by the fire, moving towards the couch Helga saw that Brainy was indeed starting to come round. As she sat on the floor next to him she watched as his eyes opened and he tried to sit up.  
'I wouldn't move if I were you, you've just undergone surgery, you might be in a bit of pain.' She couldn't help but smirk as she talked to him; he was obviously looking for somebody, but who?  
'Who.... Who operated on me?' He managed to ask before collapsing back against the cushion,  
'Arnold did. You remember Arnold don't you? The guy who always helps people out, even scum bags like you. You owe him your life, so be grateful.' Brainy seemed to consider this finally he said,  
'Fuck you Pataki!' Then he reached up with his good arm and felt his cheek,  
'You punch hard for a girl.' Smirking Helga was about to say something when Arnold appeared,  
'Brainy, good to see you're awake. Now tell us why you are here, and don't bother trying to escape, your shin bone is shattered, you couldn't go any further than the couch without collapsing in complete and utter agony.' Helga was surprised, something had changed Arnold since they were at school together, the Arnold she knew was soft hearted, this Arnold was cold towards Brainy, not that she minded, he deserved to die in agony.  
'Arnold, I need to talk to you.' Brainy managed to say, Arnold raised an eyebrow,  
'Go ahead Brainy, the floor is yours. Or should I say the couch?' Brainy sneered at him and said coldly,  
'Alone, without Pataki and her watchdog.' Arnold frowned and glancing at Helga said with a sigh,  
'Helga, you and Jim go do something. Find Mike, make sure we are left alone until I call.' Nodding Helga squeezed his shoulder fixed Brainy with a cold glare and left, Jim stood up and glanced at Brainy and said pleasantly,  
'You'll have quite a shiner in the morning.' As he left he laughed and Arnold raised an eyebrow,  
'Okay, we are alone. Talk.' Brainy seemed to recover from the pain in his arm and leg and sitting up he said urgently,  
'Okay Arnold, I talk you listen, got it?' Stunned Arnold nodded,  
'I'm not a member of Big Louie's gang, nor am I trying to kill Helga, I have an urgent message from Captain Malone.'   
'What?' Arnold was instantly worried at the way Brainy was avoiding his gaze,  
'She's dead. No I didn't kill her, but I sort of know who did.' Arnold nodded for him to go on,  
'Steel edge Joey.' He got to her, I found her, she was still alive, it seems that Joey slipped up, he wasn't wearing a mask, she knows who he is, but she couldn't tell me, all she could tell me was that I had to warn Arnold, and not to trust anybody.' Leaning forwards he winced as he did,  
'I'm sorry Arnold but I swallowed something that would kill me.' Arnold nodded and his eyes widened as Brainy whispered something in his ear.  
  
When Helga returned ten minutes later Arnold was just covering Brainy's face with the blanket,  
'Is he..?  
'Yeah, the injuries were to much for him. You will be glad to know that he wasn't trying to kill you, he was trying to warn you, us.' Helga frowned,  
'What?' Arnold shrugged,  
'I don't know, he died before he could tell me.' Helga looked at him and frowned, Arnold was pale and obviously agitated, he seemed to be fighting an inner battle, one she hoped he wouldn't lose.  
  
  
Okay that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it, well you should do, it had plenty of action, adventure, blood and the death of a stalker. Who talked in full sentences and delivered a cryptic message to Arnold. Hehehe. You're gonna have to wait to find out what though. 


	5. Chapter Five

Witness To The Truth  
  
Disclaimer: Hey Arnold and all related characters are the properties of Nickelodeon and the guy who dreamed it all up. (Whats his name anyway? Damn my crappy memory)  
Anyway, I apologise to anybody who was annoyed/upset/devastated by the untimely death of Brainy, sorry but it had to happen, anyway he was annoying.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
After Brainy's impromptu visit and his untimely death the house had become more than a little subdued, Helga jumped at the slightest sound, Jim and Mike seemed to argue constantly and Arnold had taken to shadowing Helga all the time. He had refused to even discuss what he and Brainy had talked about in the five minutes they were together, with the exception of saying that he learned of Captain Malone's death. A blanket of despondency seemed to have been dropped over the four adults, and even Jim couldn't lighten the mood, try as he might none of them could smile. Sunday afternoon found Arnold and Helga curled up together on the couch watching T.V, Arnold had his arm around her shoulders and she had rested her head on is chest. To anybody watching they looked like a couple, deeply in love, Helga knew though that things were going wrong and since Brainy had died it had gotten worse.  
'Arnold.' She said in a small voice, Arnold glanced down at her,  
'Hmm?' Looking up into his clear emerald eyes Helga asked,  
'Do you think that he's going to find us?' There was no doubt as to who she was referring to and Arnold shook is head in a confident manner, all the time the words Brainy had whispered to him replaying in his mind.   
  
Trust no one.  
  
'I'm sure that you are perfectly safe with me to protect you.' Helga smiled slightly,  
'And Jim and Mike?' Arnold seemed to consider this,  
'Yeah, and Jim and Mike.'  
  
Trust no one.  
  
'Steel edge is crazy, and he won't give up.' Mike who had been washing the dishes up dropped one and Helga screamed, jumping up Arnold pulled his gun out,  
'Whoa, sorry man, guess those plates were a little slippery.' Mike said sheepishly, Helga glared at him and put a hand on Arnold's arm,  
'Put the gun down Arnold, I don't think he's any danger.' Arnold muttered something and slowly lowered his gun, Helga frowned,  
'Did you say something?' Shaking his head Arnold grinned,  
'Nah, just trying to get my heart beating slower.'   
  
Trust no one.  
  
'I think we need to find out whats happening out there.' Jim said shooting a dark look at Mike who sneered at him and said,  
'Ya think!' Jim glared at Mike and said angrily,  
'You know I'm getting really sick of you always arguing with me, and whats with the sarcasm? I don't see you saying anything constructive.'  
'Yeah? Well maybe if I got a word in edgeways I could.' Mike said angrily,  
'At least I'm sober enough to talk, if somebody broke in me and Arnold would be the only people able to do anything about it, the only thing you are capable of doing is throwing up and bitching about your ex wife. Well I got news for ya, nobody cares, get over it.' Mike yelled something incoherent and punched Jim who fell back into the table,  
'Bastard!' He swore getting up and punching Mike in the stomach, Mike kneed him and was about to kick him in the side when Helga jumped between them.  
'Stop it!' She screamed, turning she punched Mike and then turned again and punched Jim,  
'You are behaving like children! The stress is getting to us all and its turning you both insane.' Jim stood up and looked guiltily at Mike,  
'I shouldn't have said what I said, I'm sorry.' Mike nodded,  
'Yeah, and I'm sorry as well, we should be working together not arguing like we are.' Helga nodded,  
'There's ice over there, put some in a bowl and some in two bags then go and sit down.' Jim looked confused,  
'Why in a bowl?' Helga held her hand to her chest,  
'My hand hurts!' She moaned, Mike grinned and laughed,  
'You have one hell of a punch.' Walking into the kitchen he put some ice in a bowl and filled it with cold water,  
'Here, and thanks for calming us down.' Shrugging Helga stuck her hand in the water and sighed blissfully,  
'Just try to keep your cool next time.' Arnold grinned and moved to stand near Helga,  
'Helga have you ever considered joining the police force?' Shaking her head Helga flicked some water at him,  
'Nah, I'll leave the criminal catching to the pros, I'll just investigate it afterwards.'  
  
Trust no one.  
  
Shuddering Arnold gazed out of the window; Helga followed his gaze,  
'Are you sure six feet was deep enough?' Arnold smiled,  
'I told you already, he's a good guy.' Helga shrugged,  
'Was.' She corrected Arnold who sighed,  
'Ever get the feeling that the good guys are being out numbered?' Helga nodded,  
'All the time Arnoldo, all the time.'  
'Arnoldo? That's a weird nickname.' Jim said as he pressed his bag of ice over his eye,  
'I used to call him that in school, that and...'   
'Don't say it Helga.' Arnold said with a groan, grinning Helga said,  
'Football head. I bullied him mercilessly, he hated me.' Arnold stuck his tongue out,  
'After that I still do.' Pouting Helga wrapped her arms around his neck,  
'Arnold you know how to break a girls heart don't ya?' Grinning he ruffled her hair,  
'Stop pouting, I told you in high school that pouting wouldn't work.' Smirking Helga said coyly,  
'True, but it still worked.'  
  
'So come on, you can't have totally hated each other during school.' Mike said as they ate dinner that night.  
'You're right, I didn't hate him at all. Well occasionally I did.' Arnold looked at her in surprise,  
'You didn't?' Shaking her head Helga said with a laugh,  
'Nah, I was a stupid kid who couldn't handle being nice to people and took all my pent up aggressions out on the person who tried to help me most. You. You were always nice to me, and I couldn't handle it, plus I had a reputation as being the toughest kid in the school, which I wasn't going to drop.' Arnold looked slightly stunned,  
'You actually liked me?' Helga coloured a little and laughed to hide her embarrassment.  
'Hello news flash Arnold, everybody liked you.' Grinning she said,  
'Well, except Lila. She just liked you, not liked you liked you. I honestly thought that by now you two would be married and would have two kids a dog and a house with a white picket fence.' Chuckling Arnold shook his head,  
'We dated for about two weeks but her incessant niceness got on my nerves, I would have loved for her to have said 'Oh shove off you little prat.' But no I got swamped with her 'ever so nice' crap, it drove me daft.' Laughing Helga shook her head,  
'You have changed since high school haven't you? Who would have thought that you of all people would want somebody less perky and more punchy.' Jim raised an eyebrow and Helga gave him a look that would shatter glass,  
'Don't even say it.' Jim gave her a look of faux innocence,  
'Say what?' Scowling Helga flicked a bean at him,  
'Just don't say it.' Smirking Jim glanced at Mike who was watching Arnold and Helga with amusement,  
'You owe me twenty bucks.' Mike raised an eyebrow,  
'I do? I don't remember. Why is that?' Jim opened his mouth then glanced at Helga and the heavily armed Arnold,  
'Never mind I was just messing with your head.' Mike grinned and Jim chuckled nervously,  
'So anyway, I bet you two always avoided each other right?' Helga smirked and shook her head,  
'Nah, we had this teacher right? Mr Simmons, he always insisted that we work together, I have no idea why, so no matter what the project it was nearly always me and Arnold, we made a good team though.' Arnold grinned,  
'I got a lot of A's thanks to brain box Pataki.' Helga rolled her eyes,  
'Me the brain box, I don't think so, you were always top of the class with Phoebe. You two always made sure me and Gerald were right there with you. I mean who was it who got Torvold to pass Math? Not me that's for sure.' Arnold smiled self consciously,  
'You were almost top of the class for the spelling bee, you made a mistake though and I beat you.' Helga blushed; the humiliation of that tournament was still fresh in her memory,  
'Big Bob was so pissed off at me. He nearly disowned me.' Laughing Helga looked down at her plate bitterly,  
'I haven't spoken to that jerk since he divorced Miriam, although Olga tells me she talks to him all the time.' Arnold shrugged sympathetically,  
'You always hated Olga didn't you?' Anger flared through her body,  
'Why they hell shouldn't I? Everyday of my fucking life I got told how much better Olga was than me, Bob couldn't remember my name and Miriam was too pissed to know the time of day. Whenever Olga was around she was little Mary sunshine and I was the kid who wasn't a boy. Every day I got reminded by all the trophies and pictures and crap of Olga's lying round the house that she was wanted and I wasn't, is it any wonder I hate her? She tried to make up for the fact I wasn't noticed by smothering me in 'Baby sisters' and all the fun we could have together but I know that she just saw me as the ugly little kid with a bad temper.' Standing up Helga picked her plate up and slammed it into the sink,  
'I'm going to my room!' She said as she walked passed them and into her bedroom, slamming the door as she went,  
'She was ugly?' Mike finally said after a moment of stunned silence.  
'Not really, but years of neglect from her parents made her believe she was. She was kinda cute really, I always liked her, even when we argued.' Arnold said as he stood up,  
'Okay, I'm going in there, if I'm not back in half an hour send in the cops.' Determinedly Arnold knocked on the door,  
'Helga can I come in?'  
'Leave me alone Arnold, I don't want to talk to you.' Rolling his eyes Arnold grabbed the door handle and pushed, surprisingly it was unlocked and he fell forwards as he went in.  
'Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?' Helga asked from where she was sat on her bed, Arnold sighed and sat next to her,  
'Yeah, but what kind of friend would I be if I listened?' Smiling slightly she held up the picture she was looking at, it was taken when Helga was nine, Olga, Miriam and Bob were standing together they were smiling and looking like a proper family. Helga was off to the side, for once the usual scowl didn't adorn her face, instead she had a look of sadness and longing that Arnold had never seen before.  
'This was taken the Christmas before Olga went off to teach Eskimos. See Arnold a perfect family, mom, dad and the perfect child, we were more alike than anybody ever knew, we were both parentless.' Arnold sighed, he hadn't realised the extent of Bob's neglect,  
'I'm sorry, you know maybe one day when all this is behind us we can go an look for my parents.' Helga looked up and Arnold saw a spark of interest in her eyes,  
'You really think they are still alive?' Nodding Arnold said quietly,  
'It's the only thing that keeps me going each day.'  
  
'You owe me twenty bucks.' Jim said when he was sure Arnold was gone,  
'I know I know, but I didn't want to piss Helga off anymore than she already was.' Mike said cringing slightly as he felt the bruise around his jaw,  
'True, very true, listen how about you just restock my beer supply sometime.' Mike nodded,  
'My pleasure buddy.'  
  
'Arnold I have a small confession to make.' Helga said shyly,  
'Yeah?' Helga took a deep breath and let it out slowly,  
'When we were younger I kinda had a crush on you. That was the main reason that I used to bully you and I was so nasty to you, I'm really sorry.' Smiling Arnold pulled Helga into a hug and kissed her forehead,  
'You were such a cute kid I never let it get to me. Which gives me another reason to keep you alive.' Helga raised her head slightly,  
'Really? What?' Grinning Arnold ruffled her hair,  
'I wanna find out more about your crush.' Blushing scarlet Helga threw a pillow at him, laughing Arnold ducked and blowing her a kiss ran out of the room. Sighing Helga flopped back onto the bed,   
'Stupid football headed love god.' She mumbled before falling asleep.  
  
'So you escaped alive.' Jim said with a grin, Arnold nodded and walked into the living room, all of a sudden he felt a lot more protective of her, maybe it was the confession she had made or maybe it was the confession he had yet to make. Either way he was determined to keep her alive.  
  
  
  
Ooooh, the football headed love god makes Helga go weak at the knees. I hope you guys appreciate how fast I am getting these chapters up, at this rate it will be finished within a few weeks. Then I can do a sequel. Anyway, review please. Let me know what you think, pretty please with sugar on top. 


	6. Chapter Six

Witness To The Truth  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, you know it, I know it, they know it, I don't own Hey Arnold! But I do own lots of paper, so if you sue me, that's all you'll get.  
  
Authors Note: I want to thank the people who have reviewed me. You people have really given me an ego trip. I know the whole football headed love god was just a little bit strange but I really couldn't resist adding it, that's probably my favourite nickname Helga has for him. Hehehehe. Anyway, on with the show.  
  
  
Chapter Six  
  
'Okay, don't straighten your elbow too much, the force of the gun going off could shatter it. Keep both eyes open, contrary to popular belief you won't aim better with one eye closed, you'll end up veering to much to the left, or right. Now raise the gun slightly, until it looks like its in line with the target and fire.'  
  
CRACK!  
  
Helga walked cautiously over to the makeshift target and peered at it, jumping excitedly she squealed,  
'Arnold I hit it!' Arnold grinned and walked over to where Helga was holding the board up proudly,  
'See, on the third ring.' Nodding Arnold high fived Helga,  
'I knew you could do it, you've always had a good aim, and now you know how to handle a gun properly the chances are you will be able to defend yourself against anybody attacking you.' Helga smiled proudly, it had been Arnold's idea for her to have a lesson on gun handling, she was pleased to see that it was something else she was good at.  
'Let my boss tell me my article is too long now!' She said with a smirk, Arnold raised his eyebrows,  
'Helga I don't think....' Waving a hand impatiently she cut him off,  
'I'm kidding ya loon. I'm not going to threaten him with a gun, I'll let you do that.' Seeing the expression on Arnold's face she laughed,  
'You are so cute when you panic.' Laughing she dodged the snowball he threw at her and grabbing a handful of snow threw it at him, he ducked and scooping some snow up shoved it down the back of her coat, shrieking Helga stuck a handful of snow in his hood and pulled it up.  
'I'm freezing! You are one crazy little football head.' Holding a hand out she pulled him up from where he was sitting in a snowdrift and then froze,  
'Arnold, we're being watched.' Arnold laughed,  
'Don't tell me its Jim and Mike again, don't they have anything better to do than watch us?' Shaking her head Helga pointed, following her gaze Arnold realised what she was looking at,  
'A camera? Whats that doing there?' Shrugging Helga pushed the snow away from around it to reveal a security camera,  
'Jim never mentioned a security camera, did he?' Arnold shook his head,  
'No, this isn't attached to the house though, see, the wire runs through those trees and along to that telephone pole, its been connected by somebody wanting to spy on us.' Helga shuddered,  
'Maybe Brainy put it in, you know for whoever he is working for back in the city.' Shaking his head Arnold ripped the camera from its hiding place and pulled the wires out,  
'No, this isn't Brainy's work, remember he always did things in the open, because it was more hidden out in the open, somebody has hidden this deliberately and I'm betting that it is somebody from Big Louie's gang. But who?' Helga shook her head worriedly,  
'I don't know, but we are going inside now, we have a job to do.' Arnold frowned,  
'What?'  
'We have to find the rest, you can count on the fact there will be more than one, and we have to find them all.' Nodding Arnold slipped the camera into his pocket,  
'Don't tell Jim and Mike though.' Helga frowned,  
'Why?' Shrugging Arnold said worriedly,  
'The less people who know the better, plus...' shaking his head he grinned,  
'I'm just being paranoid aren't I?' Nodding Helga headed back into the house,  
'Come on, we have work to do.'  
  
Helga pulled her coat off and shivered as the snow ran down her back,  
'Arnold you are evil.' Arnold grinned as he brushed the snow out of his hair,  
'Says Madame Evil over there.' Smirking Helga said sweetly,  
'I thought I was Madame Fortress Mummy?' Laughing Arnold grinned cheekily,  
'That too.' His face took on a serious expression,  
'Right, we stick together on this, that way if I miss a camera you won't.' Nodding Helga hung their coats up and together they made their way into the kitchen.  
  
'Four in the kitchen, two in our room, one in Jim and Mike's, three in the living room, and one in the bathroom.' Helga sighed,  
'Who could have done it?'  
  
'Camera three's gone, and now they've gotten two, six, five, four, eight, twelve, eleven, and nine, they haven't spotted the one in the front garden yet.' Breakneck Samson growled in annoyance,  
'Damn it, they're onto us.' Marcus the Weasel groaned as Helga and Arnold walked into the front garden, Helga was clearly seen bending down in front of the camera,  
"Look Arnold, this one has a microphone. Hello guys, from this contraption I'm thinking Breakneck and Weasel, sorry boys, we're onto you, this is most likely the last camera, but we will keep looking until we've found them all. What I'd like to know is if you know where I am, why haven't you sent somebody to kill me? We know Brainy wasn't working for you, so who is it?" Standing up Helga raised a booted foot and brought it down on the camera. The screen went black and Weasel groaned,  
'Damn it.' Breakneck smiled, his smile turned to laughter,  
'They still don't know who is going to do it do they? They still think they can trust him don't they, boy won't she be surprised when he kills her, and that football headed lover of hers.'  
  
'Okay Helga, we have them all, we have to get out of here.' Helga nodded,  
'I know. It's getting late though, we should set off in the morning.' Nodding Arnold said bitterly,  
'I think we are going to have to steal Jim's car, we need to be gone and we know that it's either Jim or Mike who is against us. But who?' Helga shuddered,  
'We stick together right? Where you go I go, we can't let them know we are on to them though. He might know already though.' Shrugging Arnold shivered and wrapped his arms around his upper body trying to keep warm,  
'He might do. All right, here's the plan, we have to be up as early as possible, if I can't steal his keys I'll hotwire the car, but we have to be out of here as soon as possible.' Nodding Helga said with a grin,  
'It looks like I'll be staying at your place until the trial.' Grinning Arnold said,  
'Looks like it doesn't it.'  
  
The clock on the wall struck eleven and yawning Helga stood up,  
'I'm exhausted, I'm off to bed, I'll see you all in the morning, night guys.' Mike and Jim looked up from the Monopoly board,  
'Night Helga.' They said, Arnold grinned and waved,  
'I'm going to finish this chapter then I'll go to bed too. Night Helga.' Smiling Helga moved into the bedroom and pulling her suitcase out threw her clothes and toiletries in it. Zipping it up she slid it back under the bed and taking her boots off she crawled into bed fully dressed. Ten minutes later Arnold opened the door and Helga heard him packing his case as well,  
'I've got my alarm under my pillow, when it goes off I'll wake you up. Try to sleep though.' He said as he got into bed,  
'I will.' Helga whispered, suddenly wishing that she hadn't gotten mixed up with Big Louie and was still in middle school dreaming of Arnold and her getting married in a big wedding with Phoebe as her bridesmaid and Gerald as the best man. Smiling she let her childhood dreams send her to sleep.  
  
'Helga are you awake?' Helga nodded and sat up, she'd been awake for the past half hour, and the pounding of her heart was getting louder,  
'You ready to go?' Arnold nodded,  
'Yep, come on.' Standing up Helga pulled her boots on and together they moved quietly into the living room, Arnold hunted round for Jim's keys and held them up triumphantly,  
'I got them.' Nodding nervously Helga pulled her coat on and passed Arnold his coat, the sound of a gun clicking made her jump, Arnold was empty handed,  
'Going somewhere?' The sound of the voice was muffled and looking into the kitchen she saw a man wearing a Bill Clinton mask pointing a gun at her.  
'Steel edge Joey, er, nice night isn't it?' Helga said, her voice coming out several octaves higher than normal, fumbling in her pocket she pulled her gun out,  
'I'm not afraid to shoot.' Joey laughed,  
'Oh I know you aren't but can you shoot with an empty gun?' Her eyes widening Helga pointed the gun and him and pulled the trigger.  
  
Click.  
  
She tried again.  
  
Click. Click. Click.  
  
'I emptied your gun this afternoon, did you really think I would let you shoot me?' Arnold bent down and pulled a gun from his boot,  
'I have seven guns Joey, did you really empty all of them?' Joey remained silent, suddenly he made a run for it and headed into Jim and Mike's room, a gun shot was heard and Mike walked out a minute later pulling Joey's body. Helga gasped,  
'He's dead?' Mike nodded sourly,  
'Yeah.' Pulling the mask off his eyes widened,  
'No it can't be. Jim!' Arnold gasped,  
'But, no, it can't be, I, but.' Mike nodded,  
'I figured you'd think it was me, I mean who's more likely going to go insane? The bitter divorcee or the happy go lucky married man?' Snorting he pulled his gun out,  
'You know what?' Helga shrugged,  
'What?' Mike grinned and aimed his gun at Arnold,  
'You were right!'  
  
  
Okay peeps, start screaming now! This is all you are getting for now anyway, the next chapter will be up in a few days. Have fun. Review Review Review. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Witness To The Truth  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except paper and socks!  
  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
'But, but why?' Helga spluttered, Mike sneered at her,  
'Why not?' Arnold was frozen on the spot, all of his training forgotten, he was suddenly back on his first day of the job being handed an address and told to keep the guy from jumping. Stay cool. He instructed himself, he felt something heavy in his hand, it was cool, and smooth, what the hell was it? Glancing at his hand he realised he was holding a gun, somehow he had it pointed at Mike, he didn't remember doing that.  
  
So this was it, a standoff, the battle between good and evil, insane and not insane, damn this will make a good story. Helga mentally cursed herself for being so damn coldhearted when her best friend, love of her life and bodyguard had a gun pointed at his unusually shaped yet adorable head.  
'You know so much about me why don't you tell me why I'm doing it?' Mike ordered, the way he said it made Helga realise it wasn't a good idea to ignore him,  
'I, I don't know, I just know your past names, and thats all.' Laughing Mike kept his gun pointed at Arnold,  
'You honestly think all those guys were the same person?' Helga was stumped, she had thought that, hadn't she?  
'But, but I thought they were the same person, the names are always on a same level.' Mike brought his other hand around to the one holding his gun, he was clapping,  
'Doesn't mean anything. Sure people think all the Joey's and the Jakes and the Peters were the same but really as one of those jokes got killed another would just follow, each more cold hearted than the last. You know when I got in with Louie's gang?' Shaking her head Helga tried to think of a plan, running and screaming was the only thing she could think of at the moment, it didn't seem appropriate.  
'When that bitch I call ex wife left me I was devastated, she took my child away too, my kid was my life, I loved her more than life itself, and she took away my only reason of living. At work I was surrounded by the likes of Jim who had a wife and kids who adored him, the perfect fucking life, it wasn't fair. They didn't try to make me feel better just gave me cases to work on, some little girl in Kansas was snatched, a woman who'd has a misscarriage stole a baby boy from his crib while he slept. I kept seeing my little girl crying, and I couldn't find her, I got no sympathy just told to suck it up and stop bitching. Then I met Louie, he saw potential in me, a murderous edge that would make me the worst criminal in Mafia history, and I am, nobody knows who I am, except my victims. But what can they do about it?' Laughing he smiled at Helga,  
'Then you came along and Big Louie was sent to prison, but only if you testified, and I knew you would, you see Helga there's an honourable streak in you that wants to see justice as much as your little boyfriend does. And like a dog with a bone you wouldn't give up, so I tried threatening you, and it nearly worked until that bitch Malone convinced you not to. I thought I was going to lose my grip on you, that little twinge of fear you got from the mention of my name. I thought my luck had run out, but Malone had other ideas she assigned me to look after you, of course she assigned Jim and Arnold as well, but I got rid of Jim and I pretty sure I can get rid of Arnold, then there's only one person left. You!'   
  
Arnold was watching his last chance approaching, he knew his gun was loaded, he's checked it before they left the bedroom, Mike's attention was fully on Helga, with the exception of the gun pointing at him.  
'Mike, don't do this. This isn't the answer to your problems.' He heard himself say, he had to warn him, it was the honorable thing to do, he couldn't kill him, not yet, not without giving him a chance. The small part of Arnold's brain that wasn't so honerable was screaming at him to shoot the bastard and run, he ignored it, for now.  
'You are my problem!' Mike yelled, Arnold could see Mike's finger squeezing the trigger, it was now or never.  
  
CRACK!  
  
Helga screamed as both men went down,   
'I'm okay, stop screaming!' Arnold yelled, Helga gave a shriek of relief and flung herself at Arnold, kissing his full on the lips she said,  
'Don't ever do that again.' Arnold nodded and then bent down next to Mike, checking his pulse he shuddered, firing two more bullets into Mike's chest he said bitterly,  
'I'm wasting perfectly good bullets on this scum!' Standing up he took Helgas hand,  
'Grab your bag we're going.' Nodding Helga picked her bag up and followed Arnold out of the house,  
'Arnold, do you know the way out of here?' Arnold shook his head,  
'Nope, but we can find out, we have all the time in the world.' Nodding Helga said softly,  
'I'm sorry Jim is dead. I'm even more sorry that I believed it was him. How could I be so stupid?' Arnold shook his head,  
'I thought it was him as well, even before Mike pulled him out, I was pretty dense.' Unlocking the car he smiled as Helga sat in the front passenger seat,  
'Okay, we are ready to drive.' Sitting in the front seat he put the key in the ignition and turned it, the car roared to life,  
'Home, at last.'  
  
The clock on the dashboard read 4.05 a.m. At that time in the morning the highway was deserted, and even though it was still snowing Arnold was able to drive fairly quickly to their destination. The silence in the car was beginning to feel oppresive and finally Helga said,  
'I'm sorry.' Arnold raised an eyebrow but didn't take his eyes off the road,  
'What for?' Shrugging Helga realised that she was sorry for a lot of things, some of them she didn't think she could put into words.  
'Everything.' Arnold glanced at her and Helga realised she would have to explain what she meant,  
'For being so horrible to you when we were kids, for dragging you and Jim and Brainy into this mess when in fact it's my mess, for not makng sure my gun was loaded, for kissing you and for the fact you are falling asleep at the wheel and I haven't taken over yet.' Arnold laughed and Helga looked at him with a frown and he said with a grin,  
'Helga, I got over the fact you were horrible to me years ago, me, Jim and Brainy are your friends, we wouldn't let you handle this by yourself, you weren't to know Mike would take your bullets out, I liked it when you kissed me and when we get to the next exit you can take over.' Grinning Helga realised that a lot of the guilt she had been carrying around had been taken off her shoulders, finally she laughed aloud and Arnold joined in, for several minutes the moving car was filled with relieved laughter.  
'Come on Arnold I'm driving now.' Arnold nodded and got out of the car, for a few minutes he didn't move and remained standing in front of the car staring into space, it was still dark and tapping him on the shoulder Helga kissed him on the cheek.  
'You get some rest.' Nodding Arnold yawned and climbed into the front passenger seat, chuckling Helga sat in the drivers seat and turned the key in the ignition.  
  
'Arnold, we're in the city, where do we go?' Arnold yawned and woke up,   
'Huh?'  
'Us. City. Here. Now. Where go?' Shooting her a look of contempt he said,  
'Police station.' Nodding Helga drove past a set of traffic lights and onto the main road, glancing in her wing mirror she bit her lip and said,  
'Arnold we're being chased, I hope you have your gun ready?' Nodding Arnold sat up straight, fully awake he pulled his gun out of it's holster and held it ready,  
'Do you recognise the car?' Glancing at it Helga shook her head,  
'No, I can't see the driver either, but whoever it is is definatly chasing us, do you think it could be the Weasel and Breakneck?' Nodding Arnold turned his head and looked at the car following them,  
'I recognise the car, it's Weasels, better step on it.' Nodding Helga smirked and put her foot on the gas, the speed shot from fourty mph to sixty and maneuvering the car through streets and alleys she over took a lorry. The drive of the lorry blasted it's horn and shaking her head Helga turned onto a street, the car hit black ice and spun, fighting the urge to panic she regained control of the car and shot forwards.  
'Have we lost them?' Arnold grinned and nodded,  
'Yeah, we lost them about five minutes ago, come on, if you turn down that street and take the second left you can see the Police station on the corner of the street.' Nodding Helga followed his directions, five minutes later the car pulled to a stop outside the station, jumping out of the car Helga grabbed her bag and Arnold's running up the steps of the station. Arnold followed and at the top of the stairs inserted his key card into the slot, punching in his password he pushed the door open and pulled Helga into the warm building. A few officers were milling round the office and they just stared at Arnold and Helga as they ran passed, finally they reached the office that Helga had been led to over a week ago. The few detectives in the office were subdued, when they saw Arnold and Helga they sighed with relief and surrounded them asking questions. Finally Arnold yelled,  
'Shut up and we'll talk!' The detectives shrugged and sat down wherever they could, Arnold and Helga sat on the edge of a desk and Arnold told them what had happened.  
A female detective stared at them in shock, finally she said,  
'Mike? But, he was always such a great cop? Really dedicated to the cause.' Arnold nodded bitterly and Helga said,  
'We thought so to, you'll have to send somebody out for the bodies, and we heard Captain Malone was dead?' The female detective nodded,  
'Yeah, Mike got her, it must have been before you left, we found her about ten minutes after you all left.' Frowning Helga said in confusion,  
'It can't have been Mike, he didn't leave us, did he?' Arnold nodded,  
'Yeah, I didn't mention anything but we were walking down to the carpark and he dissapeared for a few minutes, damn it, I wish I had called him out, I thought he was just going to get something.' There was a brief pause before he said sourly,  
'Probably his Clinton mask.' Helga reached out and squeezed his shoulder.  
'Come on Arnold, you know that there was fuck all you could have done about his breakdown, 'cos that's what it was, a breakdown, he just couldn't handle being the good guy and watching all the bad guys grow stronger, not everybody can. Big Louie prays on those who aren't strong enough to say no.' Arnold nodded and said with a sigh,  
'You're right, damn it your are always right.' Grinning Helga said softly,  
'Somebody has to be.'  
  
Helga sat down heavily on a chair and spun it round, she and Arnold had been stuck in the station for two hours as Arnold contacted lawyers, judges, other cops and even politicians. Finally he looked up and said with a sigh,  
'I did it, the trial has been moved to Wednesday. Grinning Helga sighed,  
'Great, is the prosecution ready?' Arnold nodded,  
'With you as the star witness we have no chance of losing.' Smiling to herself Helga yawned and said,  
'Can we leave now? I'm kinda tired.' Arnold nodded, I won't be going back to work until next week, so until then we are free to go.' Grinning Helga stood up,  
'Lets go then.'  
  
Arnold's apartment was a few blocks away from the station so they walked, the streets were deserted and even the number of cars had died down. It had begun to snow heavily and for the first time since she had met up with Arnold after eight years she wondered why they hadn't seen each other around. After all they had lived in the same city for years. Focusing on where she was walking she narrowly avoided walking into a lamp post, Arnold grinned and took hold of her elbow,  
'Focus Helga, lamp post's aren't going to avoid you, you have to avoid them.' Sticking her tongue out at him she hurried to catch up to him, and a thought made her stop,  
'Arnold? Did anybody go and pick up the dead bodies in my apartment?' Arnold stopped and stared at her,  
'I have no idea, I think I'll call the station when we get to my place.' Nodding Helga started walking again.  
  
Finally they reached Arnold's apartment and he unlocked the door eagerly, Helga followed him cautiously, the last time she had been in an apartment she had nearly been killed, she hoped that this time they would be alone.  
'Nice place you got here.' She said after looking around, it was partly true anyway, although Arnold had mastered cleaning and keeping things neat he hadn't mastered decorating so the place was plain. Tidy but plain.  
'It need decorating.' Arnold said with a smirk, Helga refrained from saying anything, and Arnold grinned and showed her around the apartment.  
'Bathroom, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, it's kinda small but it has everything we need.' Helga grinned,  
It's really nice Arnold.' She said honestly, an unopened newspaper lay on the table and glancing at it Helga's eyes widened in shock,  
'Oh my god. Arnold look at this.' Picking the newspaper up she read aloud;  
  
'Journalist dies and Mafia boss to go free in a misscariage of justice. For Mafia boss Big Louie Santoni his freedom came with a price, the death of journalist Helga Pataki, the key witness in the Santoni Vs the State case. Miss Pataki went missing over a week ago, and is presumed dead, a body was found in the New York harbour and although the body was too mutilated to be of any use the dental records confirmed that it was the body of Miss Pataki aged twenty-seven. ('bastards they got my age wrong.') Miss Pataki was reported missing by her long time friend Phoebe Heyerdahl, who was quoted as saying, "This is very unlike Helga, she wouldn't go off without telling anybody." Miss Pataki's parents were unavailable to interview although her older sister Olga Pataki gave this short statement. "Helga's death has been a shock to us all, we are all deeply upset at her life cut short. We hope that wherever she is now she is happy." Miss Olga Pataki then was unable to talk as she was too overcome with emotions. A public mass will be held in the town hall as a remembrance of a precious life and one of this papers hardest working journalists tragic death.  
Miss Pataki's death is being viewed as suspicious, although no suspects have been named at this time.'  
  
Throwing the newspaper down Helga felt tears running down her cheeks, Arnold wrapped his arms around her,  
'How could they use Phoebe's name like that? Why can't they just leave her alone, instead she's used in this pathetic hoax just so Big Louie can get off scott free. Well damn it I won't let that happen. Call the prosecution lawyer, tell him both Miss Pataki and Miss Heyerdahl will be available to stand trial. One to be the star witness and the other to prove to those leeches out there that I am alive and kicking.' Grinning Arnold kissed her on the cheek,  
'Helga, go kick some Mafia ass!'  
  
  
  
Hey peeps, next chapter coming soon. Hope you enjoyed this one. :-) 


	8. Chapter Eight

Witness To The Truth  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold. I keep telling you I don't own Hey Arnold, why do you not believe me?  
  
Authors Note: I thought I had better explain how the next few chapters would be set out, this chapter is mainly for the prosecution. The next chapter will be for the defence. And you have to wait until the chapter after that when the jury delivers its verdict. But it isn't over there! No, not at all, do you really think the Mafia is going to just lie there and take it? Humph, not in this lifetime. Anyway I've said too much.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Like with all high profile cases the courtroom was packed, every seat was taken and people stood in the back eagerly watching, listening and of course smoking. The room was filling with smoke until a security guard forced the smoker to put it out or leave.  
  
Helga paced nervously in an anteroom, her new found confidence was slowly dissipating and she was starting to feel nauseous, Arnold gave her a quick peck on the cheek on the cheek and then walked into the courtroom. It was show time.  
  
The prosecutor, Mr Pritchard was a middle-aged man with a record longer than his arm for sending guilty people to prison greeted Arnold coolly, he had always believed that to show emotions would mean to show weakness. And if his opponent saw weakness he would know where to attack.  
It had already been agreed that Arnold would answer questions concerning Helga's alleged death and then Phoebe would be called to answer questions. Phoebe's mother Reba was going to push her invalid daughter into the courtroom, although she didn't like the idea of people staring at her daughter she knew that Phoebe would never have allowed her name to be used in vain.   
'All rise for the honourable Judge Samuel Jenson.' The clerk called, as one the crowd of onlookers rose and an elderly man with false teeth, a hearing aid and a hairpiece stepped out and sank into his chair with obvious relief.  
Mr Pritchard stood up and raised his hand for silence,  
'I am sure that many in fact all of you fine people know of the tragic death of Miss Helga Pataki, the key witness for the prosecution. Instead today we are going to rely on hearsay, something that usually holds no power in court, today though we have made an exception. I call my first witness, Detective Arnold...it seems his last name is smudged, well, just come out Detective.' Arnold nodded and stood up, outwardly calm he was quaking with fear on the inside. Moving into the witness box he placed a hand on the bible an swore to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Mr Pritchard stuck his hands in his pocket and smiling said,  
'Are you Detective Arnold of the New York Police Department?' Arnold nodded,  
'Yes sir I am.'  
'What is your age?'  
'Twenty-six sir?'  
'How long have you worked in the Police Department?' There was a slight pause as Arnold tried to figure it out,  
'About six years sir.' Nodding Mr Pritchard straightened his shoulders and said,  
'Did you know Miss Helga Pataki?'  
'Yes sir I did.'  
'How?'  
'We went to school together since we were three years old.'  
'So you would also know Miss Phoebe Heyerdahl?' Arnold nodded sadly,  
'Yes sir, she was Helga's best friend.' The silence that had filled the courtroom was broken with the news of his long-term acquaintance with the "deceased".  
'So if Miss Heyerdahl was worried about Helga you would have taken that worry seriously?'  
'Yes sir. I would.' Mr Pritchard moved to his table and picked a copy of the New York Times up, showing it to Arnold he asked,  
'Miss Heyerdahl is quoted as saying, "I hadn't heard from Helga in a week, it was very unlike Helga not to contact me." Is it at all likely that she said that?' Shaking his head Arnold said,  
'No sir, not at all.' There was confused whisperings amongst the defence lawyer and his clients,  
'Why not?'  
'You'll have to see for yourself.' This was Reba's cue to wheel Phoebe into the courtroom.  
There was a gasp from the onlookers as Reba pushed Phoebe along the aisle of the court, a guard opened the gate and Phoebe was wheeled before the judge.  
'Due to an accident eight years ago Phoebe has been left brain dead, while she is in no pain and quite obviously still alive she doesn't have the ability to form coherent sentences. Whoever was quoted as being so worried about Helga was not Phoebe Heyerdahl.' Mr Pritchard nodded and after a minute of silence said,  
'Do you believe the body that was identified as Helga Pataki is indeed Helga Pataki?' Shaking his head Arnold said with a slight smile,  
'No sir, not at all.'  
'Why is that?' Grinning Arnold said,  
'Because for the past week Helga has been under police protection in a safe house guarded by me and two other officers.' Whispering was heard in the courtroom and the Judge banged his gavel to regain order.  
'Thank you Detective, you may step down.' Nodding Arnold stood up and sat down next to Reba who was at the prosecution table with Phoebe.  
'For my next witness I call Helga Geraldine Pataki.' There were more startled whispers and gasps as the doors at the back of the court opened and Helga wearing a stunning midnight blue suit walked down to the front of the court. She stood in the witness box, swore the oath and her questioning began.  
'Are you Helga Geraldine Pataki?' With a slightly strained smile Helga nodded,  
'Yes, I am.'  
'Do you have any proof that you are who you say you are?'  
'Apart from being me for twenty-six years? I have a valid drivers license and a press pass with my name, date of birth and a photo.' Pulling them out of her purse she passed them to Mr Pritchard who examined them then passed them to the judge. A deathly silence fell as he put on a pair of reading glasses and examined both cards; finally he handed them back to Helga.  
'I can confirm that the young lady standing there is Helga Pataki.' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'Thank you your honour.' Smiling Mr Pritchard stood for a minute looking at the jury who were staring at Helga with a mixture of awe and fear,  
'Now Miss Pataki, your statement says you were at the museum and you quite clearly saw Louie Santoni and three other men break in.' Nodding Helga said calmly,  
'Yes that's true.'  
'Is the man you saw in the museum here today?' Nodding Helga pointed to the defence table where Big Louie and Marcus the Weasel sat with Louie's defence lawyer.  
'It was the man in the charcoal grey suit.' Big Louie cursed loudly and the judge looked startled, finally he banged his gavel and said sternly,  
'You shall have a chance to talk later, but for now stay quiet or I will have you up for contempt of court.' Louie nodded and glowered at Helga who shivered and focused back on Mr Pritchard,  
'Can you tell me why you were at the museum the night in question?'  
'I work for the New York Times, as an investigative reporter. Recently I have been doing an ongoing report on the major crime families in America; the Santoni family has been my latest target. I got a tip off that Big Louie himself would be taking part in a museum heist, he was going to steal The Spirit of the Nile, the largest Sapphire in Europe. I got into the museum using the disguise of a security guard and secretly filmed them as they stole the jewel. I was about to make my escape when I tripped and set off the alarm, luckily I managed to escape but left my now recovered press pass behind.' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'Which is why you had to be under police protection.' Smiling Helga nodded,  
'Yes sir.' Frowning he asked,  
'I know that Detective Arnold was one of your guards but what of the other two officers that the Detective spoke of? Who were they?' Looking at her hands Helga said sadly,  
'Jim Pierson and Mike Stansfield.' Looking round the courtroom Mr Pritchard asked,  
'And are they here today?' Shaking her head Helga felt tears prick her eyes,  
'No, they aren't. Mike Stansfield also went under the alias Steel edge Joey, he was a member of the Santoni crime family, although not a relative he had been recruited by Big Louie after his divorce which I was led to believe to have been a very messy one. He was told to kill me, possibly there is a contract still out on me, of that I am not sure, but Mike failed to kill me but succeeded in killing Captain Alice Malone and Jim Pierson in his attempt to kill me. He also tried to kill Arnold and was indirectly responsible for the death of an old friend of both mine and Arnold, a guy known only as Brainy.'  
'How was that?'   
'Brainy found the body of Alice Malone, she was barely alive but she managed to warn Brainy that I was in danger. Brainy was immediately able to discount Arnold from the equation but was left with Jim and Mike, he came to warn Arnold, but Arnold shot him thinking he was a Mafia cleaner. He was still alive when we brought him inside the house; he warned Arnold then died from swallowing something that would kill him, probably a cyanide pill.' Nodding Mr Pritchard said,  
'I have no further questions, you may step down.' Nodding Helga stood up and walked across the room to sit next to Arnold, squeezing her hand Arnold said,  
'You're doing great, just hang in there.' Smiling she glanced at Phoebe,  
'I will, don't worry.'  
  
There was a deathly silence as the onlookers waited for Mr Pritchard to all his next witness, finally he said,  
'For my next witness I call Lieutenant Erica White.' A young female officer in a pristine uniform stood up and walked up to the witness box, her brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she had a gun in a holster. Obviously the court guards had been unable to take it off her. Helga suppressed a grin; Big Louie couldn't have posed any sort of a threat for her.  
'Lieutenant. It says here you were the arresting officer.' Erica nodded an affirmative,  
'That's right.'  
'How did his arrest come about?' Erica smiled at Helga and said,  
'Miss Pataki came into the station and showed us the tape she had made of the museum burglary, it quite clearly showed Louie Santoni as the head of the heist. It was simply a matter of getting a warrant and arresting him. There was more than enough evidence to prove his guilt.'  
'Did it show anybody else with him?' Erica nodded,  
'Two other people, one was wearing the Clinton mask, and has now been identified as Mike Stansfield, there was also Marcus the Weasel there, although we couldn't arrest him as we didn't have enough evidence.'  
'Why not?'   
'It was only circumstantial evidence that it was Marcus the Weasel, Big Louie called out "Careful Weasel." Quite a few times actually but he was never caught on tape. So we couldn't arrest him.' Marcus the Weasel laughed and Louie elbowed him in the ribs,  
'Bailiffs, please take Mr Weasel and hold him in the lock up until he is needed.' The judge ordered, two guards walked up and grabbed the Weasel by the arms, as they dragged him past Helga he made a leap at Helga, a flick knife in his hand. Helga barely had time to scream before Arnold jumped up and knocked the Weasel to the ground, grabbing his arm he slammed it into a table leg knocking the knife out of his hand.  
'Guards get Mr Weasel out of here and charge him with them attempted murder of Miss Pataki!' The judge roared; the Weasel was dragged from the court kicking and screaming Arnold stood up and wrapped his arms around Helga.  
'Your honour I call we pause for an hour so that Miss Pataki may recover from her fright.' Mr Pritchard said calmly, although a hint of sympathy was heard in his voice, the judge nodded,  
'Court adjourned until after dinner.' Standing up he walked into his waiting room and the jury stood up and dispersed back to the jury room, Helga was shaking violently and sobbing, Arnold kissed her on the forehead and standing up helped her walk along to the witness waiting room.  
  
'Are you alright now?' He asked once Helga was sat down with a cup of coffee,  
'Yes, I'm fine, thank you.' She said with a strained smile, sitting down next to her he sipped at his coffee slowly and then said,  
'At least the Weasel will be sent to prison as well as Louie.' Helga nodded,  
'Yes, at least something good came out of my attempted murder.' Arnold raised an eyebrow and she grinned,  
'Why do people always want to kill me?' Grinning Arnold said cheerfully,  
'I think it's your habit of having the heads of crime families arrested.' Helga rolled her eyes,  
'No really? Ya think?' Laughing he smiled as Reba pushed Phoebe into the witness waiting area.  
'Phoebe was brilliant Mrs Heyerdahl, I can't thank you enough for agreeing to help us.' Reba smiled,  
'Well I couldn't let her name be used like that, when I saw that article I was just so mad, I knew straight away that you couldn't be dead, I am going to sue the writer of that article for libel.' Frowning Helga looked up,  
'Who wrote it?' Reba frowned angrily,  
'A journalist called Angela Lloyd, well when I find her I am going to make sure she pays, a lot.' Helga's eyes widened then they narrowed,  
'Somebody used my pseudonym!' She hissed angrily,  
'Wait until I get hold of whoever thinks they can use my pseudonym and get away with it, I will personally shove a copy of the New York Times right up their ass!' Reba looked shocked then she smirked,  
'Take a number hon, I get first kick.' A bailiff knocked on the door and with a smile said,  
'Court is due to commence in a few minutes.' Nodding Arnold glanced at the three women,  
'Are we ready?' Reba and Helga nodded and Reba started to push Phoebe into the court,  
'Hey Mrs Heyerdahl? Can I push Pheebs?' Helga asked almost nervously, Reba smiled and nodded,  
'Of course you can hon.' Smiling Helga pushed Phoebe into court, Arnold walked with Reba,  
'Have the doctors said anything about her and Gerald getting better?' Reba smiled,  
'There was a lot of fluid around their brains, it's a miracle that they are even alive, but the doctors did a routine brain scan on Phoebe and it seems that the fluid is not putting as much pressure on her brain, in a few months she might be able to talk. And you know how far medical science is coming along, one day they might be able to operate and fix the problem, and I'll have my baby back.' Nodding Arnold smiled,  
'I hope so.'  
  
The court was still packed when Arnold, Helga and Reba sat down with Mr Pritchard, he sighed and turned to look at Helga,  
'Marcus the Weasel will be sentenced with Big Louie, so it seems Miss Pataki you have killed two birds with one stone.' Nodding Helga said grimly,   
'Not yet I haven't.'  
'You will, I can guarantee that.' The clerk came out of the judges waiting room and addressed the onlookers,  
'All rise for the honourable Judge Samuel Jenson.' Once again the judge walked out and Arnold noticed that he seemed to have undergone a miraculous transformation, he was walking faster and seemed more alert, obviously he hadn't had a court case so exciting in years. As the judge sat down he leant forwards and said,  
'You will probably be wondering what is going to happen to Mr Weasel, during the brief adjournment I discussed with both the prosecutor and the defence lawyer about what we could do and we reached a unanimous agreement. He will be tried at today's trial.' A few people cheered then shut up when the judge glared at them, leaning forwards slightly Arnold glanced over at Big Louie who was sitting on a chair seething, his face was red and he was muttering something angrily to his lawyer, who was looking more and more petrified. The prosecution lawyer stood up when the judge gestured for him to continue,  
'For my next witness I call Jacob Daniels.' A middle aged man wearing a security guard uniform stood up from the back of the court and walked forwards, as he climbed into the witness box he stumbled and knocked the bible off it's stand. A look of surprise and embarrassment crossed his face and picking the bible up he brushed it off and put it back on the stand.  
'Poor guy must be nervous.' Helga whispered, Arnold nodded in sympathy, he knew how awful it was to give evidence.  
'Now Mr Daniels, could you give us a brief clue about what your job entails?'  
'I am a security guard at ze museum.' When he spoke Arnold realised that the man was French, which was probably the reason for the man's nervousness.  
'I lock ze doors and make sure ze alarm system is in working order. I also have to go round ze building every hour to make sure zat no burglars try to burgle ze building.' Nodding Mr Pritchard asked,  
'Were you at the museum on the night in question?' Jacob nodded,  
'Yes, I was showing ze new security guard around and showing her ze string.' Mr Pritchard frowned and then asked,  
'Do you mean showing her the ropes?' Jacob nodded,  
'Yes, yes, I am sorry, my English is good but my metaphors is not so good.' Nodding Mr Pritchard said,  
'Now then, on the night in question did you see the men who broke into the building?' Jacob shook his head embarrassed,  
'Alas no, I was checking ze room with ze sapphire in and somebody hit me in ze back of ze head. I was knocked out cold unfortunately.' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'Of course, you may step down.' Jacob nodded in relief and stepped down from the witness box, Helga frowned,  
'I wondered what happened to him.'  
  
'I would like to recall Miss Pataki if I may.' Mr Pritchard asked the judge who nodded, standing up Helga once again stood in the witness box,  
'I must remind you that you are still under oath.' He reminded her, Helga nodded,  
'Of course.'  
'Now Miss Pataki, Mr Daniels has told us that he was knocked out cold, did you happen to see any of this?' Helga nodded,  
'Yes I did see some of it, I saw Mr Daniels go into the room with a flashlight, then he fell forwards, I saw the Weasel running away. I can only assume that he was the person who knocked Mr Daniels out.' Nodding Mr Pritchard said,  
'Thank you, you may step down.' Gratefully Helga stood up and once again moved to sit next to Arnold, Mr Pritchard looked at the jury who were scribbling notes down and said,  
'For my final witness I call Mortimer Greys.' Frowning Arnold glanced at Helga who shrugged,  
'I don't know who he is.' She whispered,  
'Neither do I.' Arnold whispered back. Mr Pritchard was now facing an elderly man wearing a black suit, his general appearance screamed either a pallbearer or the un-dead, and Arnold would have bet money on him being the latter.  
'Mr Grey please state your occupation for the jury please?' Mr Grey nodded,  
'Of course, I am to put it bluntly a dead collector. I am told of a person who has died and it is my job to make sure they reach the correct funeral home or in some cases the police morgue.' Helga shuddered and Arnold squeezed her hand,  
'I know it's creepy, but somebody has to do it.' He said reasonably,  
'Who would want to?'  
'Mr Grey, you were the person sent to collect the bodies of Mike Stansfield and Jim Pierson were you not?' Mortimer nodded,  
'Yes I was.'  
'Can you tell us the general appearance of the bodies?' Mortimer frowned and said,  
'Mr Pierson had a bullet wound in his neck, from the position of his body I think he was murdered in one room then dragged into the main room, he died instantly, the bullet severed the spinal cord. Mr Stansfield had one bullet wound in his stomach and two more in his chest, I am assuming that the bullet in his stomach hadn't killed him and whoever shot him was forced to shoot him again to make sure he was dead. Not that I blame whoever did it, a nasty piece of work Mr Stansfield was, very nasty, I saw quite a few of his victims, he was creative I'll give him that, but very sick in the head.' Mr Pritchard thought for a moment before saying,  
'Okay you may step down, I have no further questions. Your honour that concludes my witnesses.' The judge nodded,  
'Thank you, I think that it is time we adjourned for the night. The trial will resume tomorrow at ten a.m.' Banging his gavel down he stood up and walked off, Helga stood up and stretched, suddenly she looked up and excusing herself made her way over to Mortimer Grey.  
'Excuse me Mr Grey, may I ask you something?' Mortimer nodded,  
'Of course.' Helga smiled sheepishly,  
'This is kind of a strange question but what made you want to collect dead bodies?' He grinned,  
'It is always an ice breaker.' Laughing Helga thanked him and walked back to where Arnold and Reba were watching her curiously,  
'What was that about?' Reba asked,  
'I had to know why he did what he did.' Arnold frowned,  
'What did he say?' Helga laughed,  
'Apparently it's an ice breaker.' Arnold and Reba looked surprised then they said in unison,  
'Oh.'  
  
  
Okay that's it for now, the next chapter will be up as soon as possible. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Witness To The Truth  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold, and I won't be buying him from Craig Bartlett because I don't think he would accept three pound fifty and a few fanfics.  
  
Authors Note: Another chapter up, woohoo. Anyway. I have got to say the last chapter I wrote was the most difficult I have ever written. I don't do law at college so I had to rely on all the seventies cop shows I have watched for the legal stuff. Cagney and Lacey comes in very handy doesn't it? Hehehe. Okay I'm gonna explain a little joke about the dead collector, his name was Mortimer, for short Mort, which is Latin for death.  
The defence lawyer is Mr Jefferson and when I was writing about him I had this image of the lawyer on The Simpson's the one with the funny voice who is the lawyer for Mr Burns and the creator of Itchy and Scratchy when that homeless guy tries to sue him. I don't know if you guys will have seen him but if so that's what my lawyer looks like.  
  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
  
It was midnight and Arnold sat up in bed reading, he couldn't sleep and he could tell from the sounds of moving in the living room that Helga couldn't either. After a minute of listening to her trying to muffle the sounds of the kettle he grinned and got out of bed, pulling a robe on he opened his bedroom door and said,  
'Make mine tea with two sugars.' With a startled yell Helga spun around and the box of tea bags flew from her hands hitting Arnold on the forehead,  
'Erm, okay. This'll do.' Laughing Helga caught the box as he threw them back to her,  
'I'm sorry did I wake you?' Shaking his head Arnold pulled a bag of sugar down from a cupboard and passed it to her,  
'No, I was awake, I am a bit nervous about tomorrow.' Helga nodded,  
'Yeah, so am I.' She confessed with a sigh,  
'I just know that the defence lawyer, Mr whatshisname?'  
'Jefferson.' Arnold said with a smirk,  
'Yeah Jefferson will try to turn it so I didn't see anything and the camera footage I have is all circumstantial evidence.' Helga said nervously as she filled the two cups with boiling water,  
'Helga don't worry, he couldn't get away with that. Anyway you can see the jury all know he is guilty.' Helga nodded sourly,  
'Yeah and how many of them has he had threatened or bribed, you know, vote not guilty and I won't break your legs.' Arnold shrugged,  
'I don't know, but until the court case nobody will have known who they were and they are being guarded by high security guards who will just shoot somebody trying to get in who isn't a member of the court with a security pass.' Smiling Helga nodded sheepishly,  
'I'm being daft aren't I?' Nodding Arnold hugged her,  
'Yes, but you wouldn't be you if you weren't being paranoid and over reacting and I wouldn't care as much for you if you were blasé about it.' Helga raised her crystal blue eyes to meet his emerald green and said with a grin,  
'I always knew you would like me eventually.' Kissing him on the lips she pulled away and fishing the tea bags out of the cups added milk and handed him his drink.  
'Here drink this.' Arnold just looked at her startled until she pushed a hot cup into his hand,  
'Don't spill it and don't let it go cold.' She said with a grin, sitting on the sofa she wrapped her duvet around her shoulders, and Arnold realised that she had been sitting for some time on the sofa. Sipping his tea he stared around aimlessly until she opened the duvet out and patted the seat next to her,  
'Come and sit next to me, it's cold.' Nodding Arnold sat next to her and Helga attempted to pull the duvet around both their shoulders, after watching her struggle for a moment he pulled her cup from her hand and placed it on the coffee table next to his own. Then he pulled Helga onto his knee and wrapped the duvet round them both,  
'This is much better.' He murmured into her ear, giggling Helga snuggled against him,  
'After the trial would you go out with me sometime?' She asked turning slightly pink, Arnold grinned,  
'I would love to.' After a moments pause he kissed her and felt Helga wrap her arms around his neck,  
'Helga?' Helga pulled back slightly,  
'Hmm?' She said with a grin,  
'After the trial do you want to move in with me?' Helga smiled in delight,  
'You really want me to?' Arnold grinned,  
'Of course.' Grinning Helga wrapped her arms around him,  
'I'd love to!'  
  
  
'All rise for the honourable Judge Samuel Jenson.' The clerk called, Arnold stood and felt Helga's slim hand grip his nervously, Judge Jenson walked out and sat down, the defence lawyer stood up and began with addressing the jury,  
'Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, my client has been charged with a heinous crime, one which I assure you he did not commit. I am going to prove to you without a shadow of a doubt that my client is not a member of a Mafia family, and is in fact a charitable member of this community.' Helga groaned and Arnold squeezed her hand,  
'Never was there a more impossible task.' Reba murmured, Arnold and Helga nodded in agreement,  
'For my first witness I call Detective Arnold.' Sighing Arnold stood up; he was wondering why the defence lawyer would possibly want to interview him,  
'Detective Arnold, have you had any previous meeting with the so called Santoni crime family?' Arnold resisted the urge to grin,  
'Yes I have.' Mr Jefferson did a double take,  
'You have?' Arnold nodded,  
'Yes his father Stuart Santoni was arrested last year for money laundering, he was let off as there wasn't enough evidence to make it stick.' Mr Jefferson gulped nervously and Arnold felt pity for him, he wondered which family member or body part had been threatened.  
'But just because he was a criminal doesn't mean his son is. Isn't that right?' Arnold raised an eyebrow,  
'In my experience the apple never falls far from the tree, if Louie Santoni has been influenced from an early age in the ways of a Mafia way of life he wouldn't have had a chance to lead a decent life.' Mr Jefferson sighed,  
'But that is not the case with Louie Santoni. He has made many donations to charities all over the city.' Arnold smirked,  
'I did a background check of all the charities he makes public donations to, they all lead back to one bank account, under the name Louie Santoni, he doesn't donate it he just moves it around. But in the end he doesn't lose anything.' Arnold smiled when he heard Mr Jefferson swear under his breath,  
'No further questions.' Helga was grinning broadly when Arnold sat back down,  
'You were fantastic.' She whispered, Reba patted him on the shoulder,  
'You've made us proud hon.' She said warmly, for a moment Arnold knew what it was like to get motherly praise, the thought saddened him, instead of letting himself dwell on it he concentrated on the trial.  
'For my next witness I call Helga Pataki.' Helga stood up grinning,  
'This will be a breeze.' She whispered, Arnold grinned, he was glad she was feeling more confident, and after the pathetic attempt Jefferson had made of cross examining Arnold he knew she would stump his as much as he knew he had done.  
'Miss Pataki, did you see with your own eyes Louie Santoni take the Sapphire?' Helga smiled sweetly,  
'Yes I did, and so did my camera, and I have copies, and it is true what they say.'  
'What is that?' Grinning Helga said,  
'The camera really does put on ten pounds. Both Louie Santoni and the Spirit of the Nile looked really big on film.' Louie Santoni jumped up and yelled,  
'I did not look big on the film.' Helga smirked,  
'Is that a confession Mr Santoni, because to me it sounds very much like one.' The Judge leaned down towards Helga and said with a smile,  
'Now Miss Pataki, leave it to the lawyers to cross examine him.' Helga smiled sweetly,  
'Of course your honour.' Mr Jefferson groaned aloud and said,  
'Is it at all possible to see the tape?' A clerk nodded and walked off he returned a few minutes later with a television and video recorder and the tape, with a grin he held the tape up and ripped the ribbon from it, a security guard grabbed him as he set it on fire.  
'What tape?' He chortled as he was dragged from the court, Mr Jefferson turned and with a smirk that could almost be described as feral said,  
'Indeed, it seems the evidence has been destroyed.' Rolling her eyes Helga pulled a second tape out of her bag,  
'Weren't you listening to me when I said I had made copies?' Apparently he hadn't as he turned very white and held a hand out for the tape,  
'I don't think so. I'll put it in.' Stepping down from the witness box she turned the television round to face the onlookers and the judge moved round to the front of the box and sat next to Reba. Pushing the tape into the player Helga switched the television on and pressed play, after a few moments of flickering the museum was seen on the screen and Helga's voice could be heard,  
"It is now two forty five a.m. I have been here five hours and so far nothing has happened, damn my hiding place is bloody uncomfortable, wait something is happening." The camera pans around the room and stops at the door as Jacob Daniels appears in the doorway he flashes his flashlight around the room then a loud thump is hear and he falls forwards, Marcus the Weasel appears on screen before disappearing.  
"We have lift off." Helga whispers triumphantly, Big Louie walks onto the screen and pulls a spray can out of his bag. He stands in front of the case for the Spirit of the Nile and sprays around it, various lines appear around the case and pulling several mirrors out of his bag he positions them so that the lines break up leaving a gap big enough for him to walk through. Lifting the case off the jewel he picks it up and fondles it for a few seconds before slipping it into his bag and leaving, the Weasel grins excitedly and claps his hands together.  
"Okay I'm going, this is getting a tad bit dangerous now." The camera is now bouncing as Helga crawls out of her hiding place, she bumps into a display and the alarm goes off.  
"Shit!" Helga whispers before running, you can hear Louie yelling,  
"Get her you idiot Weasel! She has a camera." As Helga runs off she ducks into the main entrance room and punches in a password, pushing the door open she runs across the street to where her car is waiting and climbing in starts the car and drives off. Finally the car stops and she picks the camera up levelling it so it is facing she says with a strained smile,  
"I can only hope the Santoni family don't figure out who I am, or I am in such big trouble. First things first though, I get this to the police station." The camera is switched off and there is silence in the court until the judge sits back in his seat,  
'I think maybe it is time the Jury persons go away to decide their verdict.' Standing up the Jury filed out and Arnold and Helga exchanged glances,  
'So do you think we have won?' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'With evidence like yours, of course, Louie didn't even get a chance to defend himself, even his own lawyer realised it was useless to even try.' Helga grinned and they all sat back and waited.  
  
'Alright, this is an easy one. Just write down your verdict and put them in the box, and don't forget to fold them.' The head juror said with a grin, the eleven other jurors nodded and filled out the pieces of paper. Eventually all thirteen pieces of paper were in the box, picking it up the head juror opened them all and counted them out. With a grin he said,  
'Lets go back out then shall we?' Standing up they all walked back into the court.  
  
Arnold sat up with a start,  
'Already? That's got to be the quickest decision in history.' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'Two minutes is definitely quick.' The judge waited until they had all sat down,  
'Have you reached a decision?' The head juror nodded,  
'We have. It was a unanimous decision. We find the defendant Louie Santoni....'  
  
  
  
You guys have to wait until the next chapter to find out what he is. Hehehe. I do this to keep you reading. You have to review now and please no swearing. And don't have a contract taken out on me or else I can't finish the fic and then you will never find out. 


	10. Chapter Ten

Witness To The Truth  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Arnold, Helga, Brainy, Phoebe, Reba, Gerald, etc... But I do own the court, the lawyers and the jury persons. Which reminds me....  
  
On with the story!  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
The brief pause before the head juror spoke again was the longest brief pause in history, universes were destroyed and born again, people were born grew old and died, and Helga was gripping Arnold's hand so tightly he couldn't feel his fingers.  
  
'We find the defendant Louie Santoni guilty of all charges. Our recommended punishment, life imprisonment. We find the defendant Marcus the Weasel Jones Guilty of the attempted murder of Helga Geraldine Pataki, we recommend five years in prison and he be made to pay twenty thousand dollars to Miss Pataki.' The judge banged his gavel down and said,  
'Done. Guards take Mr Santoni and Mr Weasel down to the cells.' Helga punched the air and said,  
'Yes!' Then she threw her arms around Reba and Arnold hugging them tightly, finally she pulled away and shook Mr Pritchard's hand,  
'You are brilliant!' She said with a grin,  
'I think we should go out to dinner to celebrate. My treat.' Arnold nodded and Reba smiled,  
'I'm up for it hon. What about it Mr Pritchard?' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'I think we all deserve it.'  
  
'I nearly stopped breathing when he paused like that, I thought he was never going to deliver the verdict.' Helga said with a laugh,  
'I know you gripped my fingers so hard, I can only just move them now.' Arnold said with a grin,  
'Oh sorry Arnold, I was just so convinced he was going to say not guilty.' Arnold nodded,  
'I thought so, like they could have gotten away with it.' Mr Pritchard nodded,  
'Our evidence was airtight. They couldn't have even considered saying not guilty, not unless they wanted the judge to leap up and strangle them.' Grinning Helga pushed her plate forwards,  
'Okay I'm full.' The others nodded, Helga had taken them to a very fancy, very expensive Chinese restaurant, the meal had been eaten and they were now waiting for the bill to be paid so they could leave. Helga called the waiter over and paid for the bill with barely a glance at it, Arnold wondered how well paid her job was if she didn't even need to look at it. Or maybe the twenty grand she would have paid to her was enough to keep her unconcerned.  
  
As Arnold looked around at the few people he considered friends (Mr Pritchard was now his hero) he remembered a time when his friends or the people he had thought were his friends had abandoned him.  
  
(Flashback)  
Arnold leant heavily against his locker, correction his and Gerald's locker, and looked out at the teeming mass of students, pushing and shoving to get to lunch. A few said hello to him, but Arnold could tell it was for lack of anything else to say. Other than that nobody spoke to him, most even went out of their way to avoid him, leaving a gap of about a foot around him, it had ceased to bother him, it just meant less shoving as he slowly walked on. A flash of blonde ahead of him made him look up, Helga,  
'Helga wait!' He called, Helga turned and Arnold caught a glimpse of the sorrow and guilt written all over her face,  
'I have to go Arnold, I have a class.' With that she hurried off and Arnold stared after her, hope of having at least one friend slowly fading.  
'Sure.' He said, not to Helga but to himself, he knew that Helga was having a hard time coming to terms with the accident, and the sudden isolation that both teenagers had gotten from other students was almost unbearable. Whether they thought that Arnold and Helga would at least have each other to talk to he didn't know, if they did they were sadly mistaken. Helga hadn't spoken to him properly since they had found out that Gerald and Phoebe's condition was terminal.  
  
(Flash forwards a few years later.)  
Straightening his shoulders Arnold looked at his reflection with a mixture of sadness and pride, he was going to receive his shield and become a detective, something he had aimed at since he had joined the force straight out of High School. Sighing he wondered who would be there to cheer him on, his grandparents were both dead, having died the previous year from the flu and he had no friends, not anymore. He didn't even know if Helga would have come, if he had asked her, he vaguely wondered whether she was even in the same city, state or country. He remembered her talking about wanting to live in England, but other than that he had no idea. He could still remember her cheering him and Gerald on at basketball matched, both boys had made the squad and Helga and Phoebe had been to every game and had both cheered like idiots. Smiling he glanced at the calendar,  
'First of the month tomorrow, wonder if he knows?' He asked himself. All of a sudden he felt awfully lonely, he hadn't been on a date in years, and if he did go on a date he never went on a second. For all he knew he was going to be a lonely guy for the rest of his life, he had considered getting a room mate but that would have called for him to be sociable, yeah, like that was going to happen.  
  
(Present time.)  
  
'Arnold how about we go back to my place so I can grab a few more things.' Arnold was shaken from his reverie and nodding he took hold of her hand and they walked out of the restaurant, in the twilight the city was beautiful and Arnold couldn't help but think he was the happiest guy alive. Helga smiled at him,  
'The weather is perfect tonight isn't it?' Nodding Arnold wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close,  
'It's even more perfect with you.' Helga blushed,  
'You are so sweet you'll give me cavities.' Arnold grinned,  
'When you're around I can't help but be sweet.' Helga smiled as they entered her apartment, apart from bloodstains on her bedroom carpet there was no signs that she had nearly died there or that two men had been shot by Arnold as he protected her. Shuddering she pulled some boxes out of her wardrobe and packed her books and clothes up, when she walked out of the bedroom pulling them she grinned when she saw Arnold packing her books on her bookcase up.  
'I see we had the same idea.' Arnold nodded,  
'I wanted to get it done as soon as possible, then I think we should look for a new apartment, one that's good location wise for both of us.' Nodding Helga kissed him,  
'As you wish.'  
  
(One Month Later)  
  
Helga stepped back and surveyed her work, she was wearing overalls and a bandanna covered her long blonde hair, the apartment she had chosen with Arnold was perfect, large and bright. Two bedrooms but one had been converted into a study, and Helga was painting it cream with a dark red border, the floors were bare boards with dark red and gold rugs scattered over the floor. They had spent a lot of Helga's twenty grand at her insistence and the rooms were perfectly matched.  
'There done.' She said with a grin, the boarders had finally been pasted on. Gathering up the sheets she had put down on the floor she stuck them in a basket to be taken down and washed. Arnold came out of the study where he had been putting up shelves and smiled,  
'It looks great baby. You did a fantastic job.' Smiling she kissed him and said,  
'We did a great job. I think we deserve a pat on the back.' Arnold grinned and picked her up,  
'I can think of a better reward.' He said as he carried her into the bedroom.  
  
The End  
  
  
I finished. Woohoo! Now review please and praise me. ::Laughs:: I know my ego is getting larger and larger.  
I got told the other day that Arnold asking Helga to move in was rather quick, well I hope the flashback helped a bit to help you figure out why he did it. It was interesting writing it anyway. 


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